A "fascinating" VE Day display Chester Racecourse
Photography by Peter Bailey.

CHESTER Racecourse unveiled a:- "fascinating" VE Day display Chester Racecourse gave race goers an extra surprise with the unveiling of a stunning:- 'VE Day Themed Fascinator,' at the venue's:- Boodles May Festival Ladies Day, on:- Thursday, 8 May 2025.

Handcrafted by talented milliner, Stephanie Corlett, from Maghull, the impressive headpiece featured:- poppies, golden stars representing war medals, and red, white, and blue drapery.

Stephanie, who was named:- 'Best Dressed' at 2024's Boodles May Festival Ladies Day for her thrifted outfit, has spent a total of more than 40 hours creating the masterpiece, ensuring guests could grab the perfect selfie alongside it.

The collaboration with Chester Racecourse was a special tribute to the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, while also paying tribute to the iconic looks that have become synonymous with Ladies Day.

Stephanie, 37, who launched Stephanie Elizabeth Millinery after re-training online during the Covid Pandemic, said:- "It has been such an honour to bring this design to life and pay homage to the veterans and, of course, everyone who experienced this period in history. Creating a fascinator so grand has certainly not been without its challenges, but | am proud of how it turned out, and to be adding to the history of this incredible racecourse."

Guests from local:- Churchill Living's property:- Eaton Lodge, who were between the ages of:- 11 and 17, on VE Day in 1945, and have vivid memories of the 2nd World War, were also in attendance as special guests.

Patricia Blaxall, who was 14 when the 2nd World War ended, said:- "A memory that really sticks in my mind is going on my bicycle when the war ended, and riding up and down the street shouting:- "the war is over, the war is over! It has been really lovely to be invited to the races today, and to see the fascinator with all its poppies and stars. What a wonderful and very special tribute to such an important moment in history."

Valerie Johnson, was just 5 years old and living in Malta when the 2nd World War broke out. She said:- "My father was in the Royal Engineers, so he was stationed in Malta, and we had to be evacuated when the war began. I remember there were 3 spitfires, called:- Faith, Hope, and Charity, and we had to be evacuated in a convoy. We docked in Gibraltar, then had to go through the middle of the Atlantic because there were mines in the bays. Eventually we docked in Scotland. Not everyone made it, and I was 5 at the time, so I wouldn't have understood what was going on. I must have thought it was all a big adventure, but my mother must have been so worried. I've always loved horses. I had one when I was about 11, so I was very delighted to be here at Chester today for such an important occasion."

Eric Van Schie, who was 11 when the 2nd World War ended, also has strong memories. He added:- "I grew up on the outskirts of Liverpool, near Aintree. I distinctly remember asking my Mother if there really was going to be a war just before it broke out, and her telling me... 'Your daddy seems to think so.' During the war they used the racecourse near us as a base and put tents up for evacuated French and Belgian troops. After the war, when the races started again, we used to get the day off School for the Grand National, because it was on a Friday and there was so much traffic! We used to go and see the stable boys in the morning before the races, and they'd say: “come look at my horse!”. Later, when the races were on, we used to go down to the public right of way and tie a bit of rope up so we could stand on it and watch the horses! I have really enjoyed the experience today; it brought back some fond memories."

Louise Stewart, CEO at Chester Racecourse, said:- "Stephanie has once again blown us away with her millinery talents, and what a way to kick start what we hope will be our best racing season yet. With Ladies Day falling on VE Day's 80" Anniversary this year, it felt right to pay tribute to and commemorate the occasion in true Chester Racecourse fashion...quite literally!"

The racecourse fell silent at midday with race goers observing a 2 minute silence before racing got underway.

For further information about upcoming events at Chester Racecourse, visit:- Chester-Races.Com.

Rewiring Britain's future

NEW independent report compares costs and describes environmental impacts, carbon intensity, technology readiness, and delivery time for a range of electricity transmission technologies.

The report highlights:-

• Underground cables are, on average, around 4.5 times more expensive than overhead lines.
  

• An offshore high voltage direct current (HVDC) point to point cable is around 5 times more expensive.
  

• An offshore HVDC network connecting multiple sites to the onshore grid is around 11 times more expensive.
  

• Alongside costs, it is important that each technology is judged on its merits in each specific grid development context considering environmental impact, engineering challenges and local impacts.
  

• Supply chain bottlenecks have been reported, especially in cable manufacturing, affecting delivery times and prices, and creating a need for long term relationships with providers.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has released an independent and comprehensive study on the costs of installing high voltage electricity transmission lines overground, underground and sub-sea, aiming to inform the Government's ambitious plans to re-wire Great Britain in the largest grid upgrade since the 1960s.

A major increase in the electricity transmission network's capacity is required to access Britain's wind energy resources and meet the growing demand for electricity. This expansion will allow generated low carbon power to be utilised more effectively, and ultimately provide consumers with benefits such as greener electricity that is more affordable long term and less dependent on imported fossil fuels.

The report describes in detail a wide range of different options for getting more out of the existing transmission network and for adding capacity to it. It helps to demonstrate the cost of the different technologies. It summarises this in terms of the average lifetime cost of providing 1 megawatt (MW) of new network capacity over a distance of 1 km.

The report provides examples of deployment of key technologies to give specific amounts of capacity over specific distances, taking into account the effects of fixed costs and costs that depend on distance. For example, a typical 15 km long 5000 MW overhead line has been estimated by the report's authors to have a build cost of nearly £40m, with the equivalent underground cable costing around £330m and, in a new tunnel, £820m. Estimated operating costs are added to the build costs to get full lifetime costs.

It also highlights the importance of considering both cost and non-cost factors, such as:- visual and environmental impacts, and sustainability. For example, underground cables have lower visual impact than overhead lines, but they are viable only in certain terrains, and have much higher cost; long high voltage AC cables also present electrical engineering challenges. Subsea solutions still require onshore infrastructure to transport power from coastal landing points to areas of demand and have impacts on marine environments.

Professor Keith Bell, Chair of the Project Board for the IET Transmission Technologies report, said:- "As an essential part of the country's aim to reach net zero, the UK is decarbonising its production of electricity and electrifying the use of energy for heating, transport and industry. Access to a cleaner, more affordable, secure supply of energy requires the biggest programme of electricity transmission development since the 1960s."

Professor John Loughhead, member of the report's Project Board and IET Fellow and Past President said:- "This report provides a rich information resource on the technology choices for development of the electricity transmission network. It will help inform and stimulate essential discussions between policy makers, local authorities, local communities and bill payers as options are considered."

Katherine Jackson, member of the report's Project Board and an energy specialist said:- "The insightful relative lifetime costs are based on several assumptions and will be subject to global inflationary pressures. In practice, the costs and benefits of the different technologies depend very much on the specifics of individual projects, so there is no 1 size fits all solution."

Professor Andrew Lovett, member of the report's Project Board and Professor of Geography at the University of East Anglia added:- "This situation is complex with no simple environmental choices. When deciding between underground cables, overhead lines or subsea cables off Britain's coast, we must consider a complex range of impacts unique to each project. Each technology needs to be evaluated based on its specific context, including engineering challenges, local impacts, and costs."

David Reid, Global Practice Leader, Integrated Electricity Networks, at Mott MacDonald, and lead author of the report, said:- "The country's electricity infrastructure will play a vital part in achieving the UK's net zero targets, but it needs to be significantly expanded and upgraded. This report provides valuable insight into the different technology options available and their relative merits. It will be a vital resource in supporting stakeholders with accelerating the necessary infrastructure development needed for UK society to achieve net zero."

Mike Reader MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure said:- "This comprehensive examination of the costs associated with electricity transmission network technologies represents a significant contribution to the ongoing public debate surrounding our energy infrastructure and the future of electricity transmission in the UK."

The report has been coordinated and published independently by the IET. Research and production of the study has been carried out by international engineering, development and management consultancy Mott MacDonald. It updates 2012 published data and draws on a broad range of data from manufacturers, installers, operators and other parties.

To find out more about the report, please visit:- TheIET.Org.

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