What a weekend! I spent it at Silverstone, for the British Grand Prix, and it was phenomenal. Going with a friend, we stayed were on a sort of package trip, with a coach there, stopping in a hotel, and general admission tickets for Saturday and Sunday all included. Ideally, we would have been camping, but due to how late we sorted it out, it wasn’t really possible.
Stopping in a hotel has its good sides: no long queues for showers or toilets; a good bed to sleep in; often comfy surroundings; often a decent breakfast. For the hotel we were in, these were mostly true, but then there were the negatives – the main one being how far away we stayed from Silverstone Circuit. It was about 57 miles, which turned out to be about an hours drive, and luckily the driver managed to find a route in with minimum traffic.
For those who have been to a GP before, or any major motorsport event really (but especially F1) you will know how tremendously busy it is. It really is quite unbelievable. On the Saturday, which was F1 Practice 3 and Qualifying, it was very busy, but Sunday was something else. This is where the hotel comes into it. We only set off each day at 8:30 am, which may seem early, but for a Grand Prix, it is not. It is very, very late. The gates open at about 6 am, and the best seats are claimed then in general admission (I’ll go into this a bit more on my next post). We got there closer to 9:45 am, so on Sunday had seats about 4 rows back from the top of the terraces. This is a big upside for camping, as you can be there when you want, and can also stay there longer – I would have loved to stay until late, especially on the Sunday when the Grand Prix Party is on – I wish I could have made it! Maybe next year…
The atmosphere was brilliant, the racing was fantastic, and the whole time spent at the track was brilliant. I will again post in more detail on this next post, where I’ll have some pictures, videos and sounds. As a side note, the sight and sound of an F1 car is astonishing – they are elegant and sleek in looks, and the sound made is beautiful (as you can tell, I love F1).
The hotel itself was average overall – the rooms were very good: comfortable, modern, clean and well equipped, but the service of the staff was poor. First, I had to give a £50 imprint of my card at check-in in case I used any ‘extras’. When I enquired as to what these were, the receptionist answered with ‘they are extras’ they finally told me what they were with an attitude. Not the best of starts, and it seemed as though the travel company weren’t aware of this either, as the rep was complaining. Breakfast on the two mornings was far from great too. A cooked breakfast was only got by collaring a waiter, and for the most of the time, there were no knives, forks, cups, or glasses. The cooked breakfast itself wasn’t too great really, so overall, it was a bit of a shame, as the hotel could be good, if the service was improved.When checking out, I asked for a receipt of my £0 room charges, for proof in case they tried any funny business. I was greeted with another bad attitude from the receptionist, so it went from ‘Can I have…’ to ‘I want a ‘ – I was not happy.
Rant over, the time spent at the track overruled this – I would have slept there if I could have! Anyway, it is getting a touch late now, and I do have work tomorrow, along with a spot of car hunting, which brings me to my final point – I passed my driving test on Thursday! I am really pleased with this, and hope to get a car as soon as I can. Until my next post, which should be very soon, goodbye!