To the Dogs

Last night I went to the dog races.

No, really.

It was sponsored by work- we went last year I think, and so they organized another outing. We went to the Walthamstow Stadium which is due to close this Saturday. Before I went to the dog races last year, I had never been to any sort of race ever in my life.

Dog races are a funny sort of thing. Not quite classy enough for horses, you get the sense it's a real... underbelly sort of entertainment. But fantastic entertainment- those dogs can sure run. Lots of cheering and shouting and betting. Of course there was betting- they take 10p bets for crying out loud. You have no excuse not to bet at the dog races.

I managed to come out ahead on the winnings- started with £2.80 and ended with £4.60. We stayed for all but the very last race. They were running a little bit behind as there was a speech and a parade of protesters/supporters in the middle that pushed everything back by one race. It was interesting.

Of course, our little group huddled there watching the speech whispering quietly about the irony in that what is proposed for the stadium is exactly what we do- erase parts of the city with a click of a mouse and plan new developments to replace it...

I do think it would be a shame for such a rich part of the history of East London to disappear though. Maybe they just need a better marketing strategy and a bit of tarting up. But sadly, it may be too late.