There is a gem in Cape Town which only comes around once a year, and it comes around in the form of the J&B Met – a horse racing event which is held at the Kenilworth racecourse.

There is quite a lot of hype around the build up to the event and many people don’t go because they think it is too expensive but at R150 a ticket, it hardly broke the bank for an entire day of entertainment, plus you are allowed bringing picnic baskets into the venue.

There are various options in terms of tickets, last year we were in a tent which is in a restricted area and is basically your own 4 x 4 metre piece of ground, with some shade. Catering and drinks are usually also included in the price you pay.

Another option is a sponsored tent which is in the middle of the course and is reserved for corporate companies who use the event as a networking /schmoozing opportunity with any new or existing clients.

This year I decided to slum it in the general admissions and to be honest I enjoyed it more than last year’s tent. In the restricted area you don’t get to see all of what is going on, and by that I mean all the weird and wonderful interpretations of the theme, of which this year was glitz and glam. I had to make an effort not to blatantly stare at some of the outfits which were on show - skirts made of mirrors, shiny material in all shapes and sizes, sequence, beads, feathers and netting adorned most race goers. I kept it tidy with a little black and white number although I still had the urge, like Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady, to yell out some kind of profanity at the top of my lungs as the horses came thundering past the main grandstand, whilst in my glamorous outfit...

Now I’m not really a horse racing fan but there is something magical about getting dressed up for a day at the races, it makes you feel like you are in an old movie where men smoke big cigars and have hair slicked back with brylcreem and woman wear pearls and high heels on even the most mundane outing.

So if you are in Cape Town around the end of January and you would like something different, head out to the J&B Met, you won’t be disappointed if you are looking for something to feast your eyes on and have a bit of fun in the process.