It is hard to convey the popularity of Horse Racing to the upper and upper middle classes at the time the author is writing. Horsemanship was the epitome of a cultured landowner or anyone aspiring to that station in life. Gambling was also a very popular pastime and the two interests collided with race meets such as Royal Ascot. The picture above shows the Royal Enclosure in 1905 and shows the fashion of the attendees. The pictures below are from the 1904 meet which the author attended, so he may well be in one of the photographs!
Charles Orr's Memoirs Volume 5b
