Goodwood Revival was the reason I planned this trip for this time of the year. We attended this event in 2011 and husband loved it. I enjoyed it too (particularly the first day) for the beautiful old cars, the vintage costumes, and the Pimm's Cups.
We got up and out pretty early figuring to arrive at Goodwood asap to enjoy the spectacle. The GPS helped us outwit some of the traffic around Chichester but then we stopped listening to it and got stuck for a bit. We were sent to a parking spot far away from where all the cool old cars were parked and we certainly missed seeing them arrayed in all their glory. That was one of my favorite things in 2011.
Anyway, we entered the gates and the crowds were already huge. Many more people as compared to 2011, in our opinion. We made our way to the vendor section outside the gates (you don't even have to pay for this and it's fabulous) and I got a delicious cheese sandwich and coffee for breakfast while husband wandered. Once I was no longer hangry, I joined him and we went to a bunch of tents, took pictures, and enjoyed it all.
But it was time to get our money's worth by entering the event (tickets were 66GBP/each plus Roving Grandstand Passes 32GBP/each) . Over the track and down into the mayhem we went.
Our first stop was Porsche and husband was in his glory. Some of the same guys from 2011 were back and he had fun chatting with them. We got our souvenirs and continued on. We didn't have a map but decided to head over to the grandstands. We sat and watched the action for a little while.
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| Very crowded |
But car racing was not the main reason we returned to Goodwood Revival so we headed across the track to the Paddocks to gawk at the priceless vintage cars up close. We got to see a lot of cars driving by with the crowds pressing close. This event could NOT happen in the US--too many liability issues!
We stood in line for our photo op at the Ford booth in the Lord March's Best Car competition tent (I voted for an uber cool Ferrari). Husband wandered by the airplanes while I listened to the band and enjoyed the lovely weather. We stopped in all the vendor stalls. We got snacks and Pimm's Cups. We marveled at all the costumes and thought there were more this year than in 2011. When we came across a restricted Paddock area that stated anyone who entered had to be in costume, we understood the uptick in costumes. We marveled at the cost of the Veuve Cliquot champagne (75GBP for a bottle!, 14GBP for a glass!) and all the people getting multiple bottles. Husband enjoyed his crab platter while I wanted to take pictures of everyone I saw 'cuz their costumes were outrageously gorgeous.
We decided to head back to the other side and take the tractor around the track. We waited probably 30 minutes for a tractor while enjoying another Pimm's Cup and beer. We decided to get off at the third stop and spent most of the rest of the late afternoon there, me in the grandstand and husband wandering around. We ate some truly delicious chicken wings. I saw too many cars spin out on one difficult corner of the race. We greatly enjoyed ourselves.
A nice couple in line for photos at Ford had told us that there would only be one real race today, at 7pm, for the Kinrara Trophy. So we decided to make our way back via tractor to the grandstands to watch it. When the cars were all lined up with the girls in 60's costumes holding their numbers, I felt like I was not in 2016 anymore. Really cool. The race was a little too long to hold my attention, and it turned out that the only professional driver on the track won, so I was ready to leave when it was over.
We followed the masses out and back to our car in the dark. We used the GPS to help us avoid the A27 and were lucky to pass by Nicolino's Italain in Emsworth where we stopped for a late dinner. The food was pretty good and the service was very efficient.
One wrong turn later, we were back at the Premier Inn for the night. Goodwood Revival was outstanding again. We'd definitely go back!
Takeaways:
1. There's way too much to see at Goodwood Revival. One day is enough for this non-car enthusiast.
2. Pimm's Cups are the best.
3. If you go to Goodwood, take the tractor to the outer spots--less crowded, better views of the racing, and some fantastic food. Too loud, though, so take ear plugs.
4. Waiting in line for the photo op at Ford is worth the time (we love these pictures!).
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