Next weekend is the utterly amazing and wonderful Goodwood Revival. ( https://www.goodwood.com/flagship-events/goodwood-revival/ ) My first visit was 6 years ago in the September of 2011. At the time all I knew about it was the location at Goodwood, but I mistakenly thought I was returning to the race track on top of the South Downs. I also knew that I had been encouraged to dress up in clothing from the 1940's up until the 60's.
'From the glamour of the naughty ‘40s, via the fabulous ‘50s to the swinging ‘60s, a day out at the Revival also means the treat of dressing up in authentic period costume.'
I wasn't sure how serious the dress code was but I thought I'd give it a go. I can't remember what I wore for that first visit. I think it was a navy blue dress and heels.
When we arrived the first thing that surprised me was that we weren't directed to the hilltop where the race track was but instead we drove down into the valley into a huge field to park the car alongside the airfield. When we stopped and got out to walk across the field to the fun fair we were hit by a wall of noise. The sound of cars roaring around a race track. I heard them before I saw them. As we approached we walked through lines of vintage cars and a funfair. The whole place looked like a film set, a step back in time. everyone had made the effort to dress the part, no one was in everyday clothing. Below is the description that the Goodwood website uses:
'The romance and glamour of motor racing as it used to be. The Revival is the only historic race meeting to be staged entirely in period dress and is a return to the halcyon days of Goodwood as the spiritual home of British motor racing.
It’s an unabashed celebration of flat-out wheel-to-wheel racing, around the sweeps and curves of this classic circuit, which remains unchanged since its heyday. The inaugural Revival opened on 18 September 1998, when the Earl of March drove around the circuit in the Bristol 400 in which his grandfather, the 9th Duke of Richmond, opened the track 50 years before. It’s now the world’s most celebrated historic motor racing event, with race fans coming from all over the country to soak up the unique atmosphere in period costume.'
It is an amazing experience and every year I have seen it get more and more popular. A photo speaks a thousand words. I will limit this post to pictures and say less. Here are some of my photos from over the years.
Don't ask me which time period I am dressed in, I don't know. I wore my grandma's fur wrap over a dress. I like this photo because the lady behind is dressed as a nurse and it reminds me of the Guys Hospital nurse uniform my Mum used to wear.
Practise races on the Friday. Watched this crash, fortunately the driver emerged alive and well.
The evening race on the Friday.
A Japanese enthusiast.
Spitfires overhead.
Picnicking in the carpark. Love the Citroen Pallas below.
The year I wore the old hat.
Funfair rides.
Dancing in the Champagne tent.
The Doom Bar tent over the road gets going when the days races have officially ended.
Tickets are expensive but if you've never been to the Goodwood Revival before, I completely recommend it. It is the most unique amazing experience. It will blow you away. If you really can't afford it you can always just go and enjoy the funfair side of the event, no tickets are needed to enjoy the vintage cars and the Doom Bar party and during the day the races are shown on a huge screen.