The Goodwood Revival

Posted 15th September 2018

Last week I had the privilege of attending The Goodwood Revival.

For those not in the know, it’s a three day festival, held each September at the Goodwood Circuit, that celebrates the racing cars and motorcycles that would have raced during the circuit’s original history from the late forties to the mid sixties.

There really is nothing else like it anywhere else in the world. It’s a heady mixture of wheel to wheel racing from some of the most iconic and classic sports cars and bikes, paired with a crowd dressed as if they’ve just stepped back in time sixty years, mixed in with the action, noise and smells of a fully competitive race weekend. All set against the backdrop of the beautiful Sussex countryside.

It is one of the world’s most popular motor race meetings and the only United Kingdom event that recreates the golden era of motorsport. It’s loved by drivers and fans alike.

I’ve always been abroad that weekend, so when I was offered a ticket for practice day on Friday and I could go, I jumped at it.

It would also give me the opportunity to finally see my uncle’s pre-war single seater Alta race car in action. I played in it as a kid in his garage, but never saw it running.

Arriving at the track, the sheer scale of the event is overwhelming. As a photographer, it’s like being a kid in a sweet shop.

But even before you get to the cars, you’re greeted with the sight of the crowd. Everyone goes all out dressed in period clothes. It’s like stepping back in time.

And then you get to the cars. Wow! As a petrolhead, you’ve died and gone to heaven. Period Ferraris, Austin Healeys, Jaguars, Minis, Bugattis. You name it, they’re there.

Oblivious to how much each car actually costs, they race them, and we’re talking bumper to bumper here. It’s utterly thrilling.

There’s so much going on off track too. The pits are alive with mechanics sorting their cars out, people strolling around checking out the cars, and the general social scene of being seen.