MY observations of social media always convince me that I am failing to make the most of life’s pleasures. There is a stream of posts and photographs from exotic locations ranging from the Maldives to Meribel, or working trips to bloodstock sales in the sunshine of Queensland and Cape Town.

After reading accounts of visits to vineyards, long lunches and all-over tans, I can but admire how people manage to combine a career with lengthy periods of sun and fun far from home. Of course the reality is that each experience is being enjoyed somebody different.

In the days of postcards from abroad, only a handful would get to know about such things, rather than the hundreds who are far closer acquaintances in the virtual world than they are in the real one.

If I chose to chronicle my life, I wonder how many would “like”, or “share”, my traditional January break at this week’s Goffs UK Sale in Doncaster.

Before the sale started, there was such a strong demand for accommodation that I was asked to “take one for the team” and move from my normal hotel to one in the town centre.

As it turned out, the hotel in question overlooks the renowned Silver Street, which basically brings a little bit of Sodom and Gomorrah to South Yorkshire.

Anybody who has ever watched fly-on-the wall programmes from Ibiza or Magaluf will be familiar with the set up; a short street almost entirely made up of nightclubs, bars and takeaway restaurants.

HUMAN LIFE

At weekends I imagine that it is possible to witness here every stage of human life, from conception to a final breath, all fuelled by unbelievably cheap alcohol – 15 shots for £10 – and a massive selection of takeaway food.

The memorably named Biscuit Billy’s is apparently a particular favourite of visitors to what the locals in Doncaster refer to as “the Bloodstocks”.

Vendors from Ireland on a night out are normally quite easy to spot – their dress and physique suggesting a slight out-of-town background. Locals, on the other hand, tend to dress for the aforementioned Magaluf and it may even be a door policy that ladies need heels longer than their skirts and a cap on exactly how much of their body may be concealed by clothing.

Although Monday and Tuesday nights in January are not Silver Street’s busiest, the prospects of my getting a good night’s sleep were made clear by the very first song to permeate the hotel’s double glazing, let alone the pillow over my head. It was Lionel Richie’s All Night Long and it proved an accurate prediction of my unwanted wakefulness rather than anything more exciting.

By day it was definitely “Sunny Donny” and trade on both days posted some exceptional increases. The sale catalogued horses-in-training on the first day and National Hunt foals and breeding stock on Wednesday. The first day was headlined by a dispersal of horses belonging to the late Graham Roach as well as a section of point-to-pointers with very recent form.

Wednesday’s foal sale was always going to benefit from the remarkable success of the UK’s flagship National Hunt stallion Kayf Tara, sire of such current performers at Thistlecrack, Identity Thief, Special Tiara and Tea For Two. Such is the stallion’s popularity he accounted for eight of the top 10 weanling prices achieved.

DINNER

Goffs UK host a dinner on the eve of the weanling sale, mainly to entertain the many Irish buyers that are in attendance. Last year I sat with bloodstock agent David Minton and learnt about his early years in the business.

This week I was equally fascinated to hear Co. Antrim point-to-point handler Warren Ewing describing his “day job” (as if a bunch of horses-in-training and a collection of young stock are not enough to keep one man busy). His family are fishmongers and Ewing’s was started in 1911 by Warren’s great-grandfather and today is a business employing 40 staff.

They have buyers at several ports purchasing fish at auction before daybreak and supply a huge amount of the best hotels and restaurants in Northern Ireland.

Their smoked salmon is sold in some of the most famous shops in London and, along with his father and brother, Warren is very much at the helm so his success and efficiency with point-to-pointers is no coincidence.

I do not know if horses bought from Warren are accompanied by a side of his famous smoked salmon but, in the event of my being among his equine customers, I would very much hope so.