Goodwood Revival Meeting
Friday 16th to Sunday 18th September 2005

The sight of a full grid racing down to Madgwick Corner is a wonderful. What a delight to see historic cars driven with vigour and not just standing in dusty museums! (Photo: Goodwood Circuit)

Well for the Goodwood Revival 2004 we are continuing the informal V8 Gathering. Do get in touch with Victor Smith on 0208 392 9434 beforehand or on 07770 822977 over the Goodwood Revival weekend. There is good mobile phone coverage at the Circuit although often the networks are fully engaged so that getting a connection can be difficult at times! Unfortunately John Targett will not be over from Akron Ohio with Dana Moreland because he is racing in the US that weekend in his replica Works MGB. Regulars like Mike and Phylida Maude-Roxby, Bryan Ditchman, Ron and Valerie Gammons, Rob Innes-Ker, Howard Gosling, Philip Morgan, Barry and Pam Sidery-Smith, Peter and Jean Ellis, Ken Willis, Stuart Clague and Victor Smith will be there.

The advertisement for the Goodwood Revival Meeting for 2004.

Getting to Goodwood
In terms of getting to Goodwood, you have two choices based on the direction from which you approach Goodwood Circuit - from the north or from the south - and that will determine the car park you will be directed to, unless you have been allocated a particular car parking sticker by the organisers. Whichever route you decide to take, it is well worth timing your journey to arrive before 8.00am or earlier to avoid the slow moving queues for the car parks. The Goodwood Circuit management are very efficient at handling the car parking traffic flows. You will be directed into one of the public car parks (level grass fields) and parked in rows.

Approaching from the north through Singleton village on the A286 from Midhurst. You can reach Midhurst from the A3 (London-Portsmouth road) at Milford or from Pulborough and Petworth to the east and Winchester from the west on the A272. It's a wonderful drive over the downs passing Goodwood racecourse.

Approaching from the south from the roundabout on the A27. You reach this roundabout from the M27 to the west or from the east on the A27 from Arundel and further east or from the A285 from Petworth or the A29 Pulborough & Billingshurst. Congestion on the A27, even before you reach that roundabout, is legendary, so unless you arrive before 8.00am lengthy delays are likely on the A27 and then once off the roundabout and on the secondary road leading north to Goodwood Circuit (also marked for Goodwood Airfield) there is usually a slow traffic queue until you are directed to one of the public cars parks (see the bottom RH corner of the plan below).

Circuit plan - if you copy the images above and below from this webpage (it's a jpeg file), you can then view them on your PC and enlarge them to see more of the detail of the layout of the Goodwood Circuit and the key features for the Revival Race meeting. (Plan: Goodwood Circuit Revival Programme 1998)

Enlarged plan of entrance to the Circuit, grandstands, enclosures and the subway to the paddock. (Plan: Goodwood Revival Programme 1998)

Where to meet up
A convenient meeting place is at the bar and teashop marked "F1" on the plan above which is near the main pedestrian entrance (marked on the plan above) and the pedestrian subway to the Paddock which is on the inside of the track. It is a convenient point because it is only 50 yards (45 metres) from the main ticket control point at the head of the path leading from the road passing the entrance to the Circuit. So if you are not familiar with Goodwood all you have to do is walk dead ahead from the ticket control barrier and then you will see the marquee with the bar and teashop diagonally to your left. Call Victor Smith on 07770 822977 and we will agree a meeting time. On Sunday, Bryan Ditchman is usually to be found at the Spitfire Restuarant, marked "F2" on the plan above at around 10.00am enjoying a 1950s English breakfast and will be happy to see you there! The Spitfire Bar overlooks the parked WW2 aircraft which are usually fired up early in the morning for a short display and then again at lunchtime.

Two Goodwood Revival regulars enjoying the Paddock sights - yes even cheeky schoolgirls from St Trinians! But be assured a St John Ambulance team were on hand nearby with a de-fibrolator! Mike and Bill look as if September 1962 was just yesterday, but how long can they keep the moth at bay!! (Photo: Victor Smith)

Most visitors do dress in sympathy with the style of the event - ladies wear summer dresses, pastel shades and pearls, and even wartime austerity dresses or suits - and men shake out their old sports jackets or blazers, twills, neckwear (a tie, bowtie or cravat) and brogues, together a hat and give the moth a surprise! Some visitors appear in drainpipe trousers and Teddyboy jackets. The period feel is further enhanced by the groups from local drama schools playing various parts from the 1960s - one group last year was a schoolmistress with a class of girls from St Trinians which caused some amusement.

School mistress struggling to control her class from St Trinians - the actors are provided by a local drama school. The attention to detail and sense of fun are hallmarks of the approach Lord March and his team have to re-creating the feel and atmosphere of Goodwood in the 1950s and 60s. (Photo: Victor Smith)

So trainers, baseball caps and modern logo adorned sweatshirts are not at all welcome and only an insensitive few appear in them. To get from the public enclosures into the Paddock on the inside of the track via the pedestrian tunnel (see the plan above), the stewards appear to check both paddock transfers and that visitors are suitably dressed. For photographers in the Paddock it is wonderful because it means the attire of the human backdrop is very much as it would have been when the cars being prepared for the various events were originally competing at the Circuit some 40 years ago or more.

The start line at Goodwood - an impressive sight with Mk 7 & 9 Jaguars, Sunbean Rapiers, A35s, Riley 1.5s and Morris Minors set to give battle again. The view here is from the grandstand on the outside of the Circuit, facing the Pits.

One of the pleasures of attending the Goodwood Revival meeting is a stroll right round the outside of the track with several chums in the morning during practice pausing at the bars on the way for an occasional pint of ale. Do try and get round to Fordwater (a high speed corner on the far side of the Circuit - see the bottom LH side of the plan of the Circuit above) because the sight of an Aston or a Ferrari drifting through, brushing the apex at 130mph is beyond description - not to mention the sound of the engines on full-song! A seat in one of the grandstands during the racing programme is useful and a welcome relief for the legs too! It's also a great benefit if it rains! Another popular spot is a grass covered mound by the chicane on the outside of the track where you get a good view of the cars as they race up from Woodcote Corner to the slowest part of the lap. Spectating from the roof of the pits (see the spectators massed above the pits in the photo above) is another interesting viewpoint particularly during the one hour race when you have the driver changes below in the pits. Standing on the grass bank at Madgwick Corner is also a very useful viewing point as it is a complex corner with a great deal of action. It is also a good spot for the air display as the aircraft usually follow the line of the main grass runway and pass right over the Madgwick banking!