Each year we (the Pension Play Pen) organise a week down in the Cotswolds and go racing for four days at the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival. The racing takes place between 13th and 16th March and we have taken the house for the week.

This is quite simply the best week of the year. It brings together a group of friends old and new who have a common love of life , good food, good living, good drink  and good racing.

We are staying this year at Brighhill farm near Stow on the Wold. It’s a beautiful place owned by a great friend of the Playpen

Brighthill Farm can be googled at OX7 5QT.  Isolated in 30 acres, it’s  5 minutes from Chipping Norton, 7 minutes from Daylesford and  10 minutes from Stow on the Wold. It has 6 bedrooms each sleeping two mostly with  double beds. Several other single beds are available.

The house has wonderful views, a large kitchen and dining  room with  a  table seats up to 16.

There’s a great tennis court and in the next door field is the oldest stone circle in England – The Rollright Stones

Each morning, a minibus will drive the forty minutes to the course where we’ll enjoy the best horse racing in the world. Following the racing we will return to Brighthill for an evening of drinking, dancing and music. We take turns cooking simple food before retiring to a well-earned rest.

If you aren’t familiar with the virtuoso musicianship of Dick Strattan , Stella Eastwood or Andy Seed then you are in for a delight. Song sheets are distributed for those not familiar with Sweet Caroline, American Pie etc. If you’ve expererienced an evening in their company you will be chomping at the bit to return.

Breakfasts are hearty affairs enjoyed by the fit after a set of tennis and by the rest of us pouring over the racing post for the day;s winners.

Try keeping it up for a week or sample it for  just one day, we’d love to see you! You might not be watching Frankel……………………

But you’re more than likely to see this magnificent animal

The cost is £100 per person per night which includes your travel, ticket and food and drink. This is something of a bargain. All you have to do is get yourself by train to Daylesford (change at Oxford) or set your sat nav to OX7 5QT.

To get yourself a place, give me a call. We can accommodate couples or singles though if you are single, you may find yourself sharing a same-sex double!

I can be reached at henry.h.tapper@gmail.com or on 07785 377768.