By Community Correspondent: Marcus Gosling.

The desperate search for a sponsor for the Derby ended this month with heads held high, as Epsom secured the company ‘Investec’ as the new sponsor. If the residents of Epsom Downs and Langley Vale did not know about this before, they do now; it is impossible not to see the vast quantities of ‘sponsor-poles’ baring the company’s name, nor the eloquent new grandstand, which we all hope to be a success. Opportunistic residents, who live in roads near the racecourse, have already been thinking about renting out their drives to eager day-trippers, coming to see the spectacle. This is a great idea, as police seemed to have banned all parking near Epsom Downs racecourse.

The preparation that goes into the spectacle is huge, but it will not be the same without the traditional fairground, scrapped in financial difficulty. However, we all look forward to the event itself, now that a new sponsor has been secured.