After we’d eaten we walked along the water, past the Merlion and under the Esplanade bridge towards Boat Quay.  It was at about this time that my Mum quietly declared what was on her mind, “What an amazing place this is,” she quietly said.

A couple of days ago about half an hour before the second Friday free practice session for the Formula One cars at this year’s Singapore Grand Prix, I was stood on the Esplanade bridge above where my Mum had uttered those words. I was sipping a beer and looking out towards MBS once again and through the crowds of people enjoying the very special atmosphere.

“Mum, if you thought it was amazing then, you should see it now,” I said quietly to myself.

Although I didn’t go last year I went to the Grand Prix the first two years it was held here. The first year was very special with a visit for eight days from my sister and her husband. We still speak of that holiday as one of the best times and, although the Grand Prix was the focus of those days, my adopted home delivered a great experience every day with great shopping, great food, buzzing night life and encounters with furry animals at the Night Safari.

There is no doubt that having an event in the middle of the city provides massive logistical nightmares whilst also offering the potential to be special with the stunning backdrop of the CBD and other buildings already in place and the absence of other headaches like the need for temporary toilets to be towed into the middle of a field as at Sepang or Silverstone a real plus.

So there is a head-start for Singapore I suppose but rather than take it easy with this advantage and do something acceptably good, you can almost feel and touch the mantra and drive of those involved in organizing it.  I don’t know any of them and I am not privy to what gets discussed but I’d be surprised if the words, ‘best’, ‘best ever’, ‘superb’ etc don’t get bandied around at every meeting about every aspect because that’s exactly what it feels like.

Eddie Jordan introduced the BBC coverage of qualifying on Saturday evening with a few sentences revealing his feelings about the event.  He thinks it’s by far the best event on the calendar and pointed to the attention to detail in the paddock area as one aspect where the organizers excel.  (I think he would like it even more if the Singapore Sling chicane was redesigned but that’s another matter)

What irked me slightly was thinking about all those BBC viewers who might not realize that paying just SGD38 also gets you the opportunity to experience that same wonderful attention to detail along with all the other almost intangible aspects that make a Friday evening in the walkabout zone equally.

I enjoyed my beer so much on the bridge that I went and got another one from the bar where there was no queue and where there was a smile on the face of the woman who served me which suggested that, although, she was working, she couldn’t help but be part of the atmosphere too.

And as I turned and looked once again at MBS towering over this unbelievable spectacle I felt proud.  I felt very proud.

“Oh yes, Mum, I thought again, you should see it now.”