The RISE, FALL AND RISE OF HORSE RACING IN CHELMSFORD

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5star by Andy M. If he had been alive in 2012, Charles Dickens would undoubtedly have scoffed as Chelmsford in Essex was officially declared a city to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.Dickens had described it as 'the dullest and most stupid spot on the face of the earth.' There was nothing to look at except 'two immense prisons large enough to hold all the inhabitants of the county.' Bah humbug! In fact, the city has a proud history, particularly its connection with Marconi, who first established a factory there in 1899; Chelmsford boasts of being 'the birthplace of radio.' David Dunford's delightful book takes a trot round another feature of Chelmsford's past - the horse races held on Galleywood Common. Racing began there as far back as the mid-18th century and ended in 1935. However, as the title suggests, it came back with a fanfare in 2015 with the opening of the Chelmsford City all-weather track at Great Leighs.This carefully researched and illustrated work is as much a social history as a sporting one. In the 19th century, the gentry would go to the races to advertise their status and indulge in an early form of networking; in the evening there would be balls, concerts and dinners to attend. The working classes were more interested in the racing itself and the carnival of delights that accompanied it: fortune tellers, acrobats and bare-knuckle boxing. Much of the racing in the early days was poor - small fields, tired horses and few exciting finishes. But as the author outlines, things would change. The railways came, facilities were improved, the sport was put on a more professional footing and prize money increased. Gambling became more popular and widespread, although by the 1930s, the more convenient opportunities provided by greyhound racing and the football pools would play a part in the demise of the Galleywood Races.In the summer of 2016, Simply Red played at the swanky Chelmsford City track. In the grandstand, there have been boxing, comedy and murder mystery nights. It's all an echo of days past - a long-forgotten world entertainingly brought back to life in this book