Closed spectator area

Closed spectator area

Author
Discussion

scutt11

Original Poster:

221 posts

158 months

Saturday 12th September 2015
quotequote all
For those people who ignored the closed spectator area at the first corner today do you not think they do this for a reason. Just a few weeks ago there were people killed at an air show so restrictions have changed. Do not moan at the people on the rope they are doing what they are paid to do to keep people safe.
No I am not one of the rope or goodwood staff I am a spectator who had to wait for area to be opened and I am also the person who told another spectator in no uncertain terms to stop abusing the goodwood staff!!!

WJNB

2,637 posts

162 months

Saturday 12th September 2015
quotequote all
Last year & maybe in previous years whenever there was an air display sections of the spectators area underneath the flight path were roped off, but only for the duration of the display. Sadly if people are complaining then maybe the event is beginning to attract the yob & the ignorant oik.

john2443

6,341 posts

212 months

Saturday 12th September 2015
quotequote all
WJNB said:
Last year & maybe in previous years whenever there was an air display sections of the spectators area underneath the flight path were roped off, but only for the duration of the display. Sadly if people are complaining then maybe the event is beginning to attract the yob & the ignorant oik.
It wasn't closed off in the early years, but has been closed for a few years now, regulations must have changed, maybe due to an accident somewhere.
There are sometimes bits that are closed, or where you can't drive or walk that seem a bit pointless (obviously I don't mean under the flight path), but I just assume they are like that for a reason and there's not point worrying about it, just get on and enjoy all the bits you can get to.

Hopefully it won't attract too many oiks and yobs, when I was getting into my car in the pre 75 car park a few years ago a South African chap was chatting to me about my cars, his cars (a garage full of Porsches!) and things in general, he came over specially for the revival, and said he loved Britain, everyone was so polite and well dressed - I had to explain that Goodwood wasn't quite representative of daily life here!

Bit of a whatsit that the Vulcan couldn't turn up, I was amused that they said it had a fuel leak so couldn't fly the 5 miles to the track from where it was circling but it could fly back to Doncaster!?


dogbucket

1,204 posts

202 months

Saturday 12th September 2015
quotequote all
Yesterday before the last race a large crowd had formed waiting at that point to cross. A single bloke decided he was too good for this and ducked under the rope striding across no mans land with one of the rope girls walking backwards in front of him asking him to stop. He completely ignored her and once three quarters across she gave up and walked back shrugging her shoulders. A few minutes later the pace car came round and immediately a group who had no doubt been tutting the bloke moments earlier broke though the rope followed by everybody else, leaving the rope girls looking confused and forlornly still trying to hold people back.

Was really disappointed to see such behavior particularly having commented earlier in the day at the lack of litter etc. Couldnt help thinking that position would be better staffed by some big shouty persons if having to deal with these aholes.

F1JHerbert

538 posts

166 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
I had a chat with one of the rope girls. She was saying they were getting different messages over the radio, that it was a case of the righthand didn't know what the lefthand was doing etc.

Before the last race they closed the rope. Which (and I am not accusing/blaming anyone) then caused a bottle neck and a log jam. Due to the large number of people at the first corner, people could not sit and watch the last race. Due to people standing. It was closed for a good while before it was open again. Which then caused a stampede of people.

I suggest that Goodwood have a look at the organisation of the part of Madgwicks. Because it is a popular place to sit (if you have to move after every race. So be it). I think it may one have been closed off, shortly after the Vulcan was due to come. Closing it around 4:30pm for about Half an hour or so,because of the planes leaving. But yet all day people were walking throughout the day without a problem. Closing it for a good thirty minutes at 4:30pm, when a high volume of people were leaving seemed a bit ridiculous. As we were penned into a small area. Which would have meant having to walk all the way round the circuit. I am not blaming or accusing anyone.

It seemed more the lack of communication and disorganisation. As if it was all done hurriedly, with it there. As the poor young girls there didn't really know what was going on.

ecsrobin

17,146 posts

166 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
F1JHerbert said:
I had a chat with one of the rope girls. She was saying they were getting different messages over the radio, that it was a case of the righthand didn't know what the lefthand was doing etc.

Before the last race they closed the rope. Which (and I am not accusing/blaming anyone) then caused a bottle neck and a log jam. Due to the large number of people at the first corner, people could not sit and watch the last race. Due to people standing. It was closed for a good while before it was open again. Which then caused a stampede of people.

I suggest that Goodwood have a look at the organisation of the part of Madgwicks. Because it is a popular place to sit (if you have to move after every race. So be it). I think it may one have been closed off, shortly after the Vulcan was due to come. Closing it around 4:30pm for about Half an hour or so,because of the planes leaving. But yet all day people were walking throughout the day without a problem. Closing it for a good thirty minutes at 4:30pm, when a high volume of people were leaving seemed a bit ridiculous. As we were penned into a small area. Which would have meant having to walk all the way round the circuit. I am not blaming or accusing anyone.

It seemed more the lack of communication and disorganisation. As if it was all done hurriedly, with it there. As the poor young girls there didn't really know what was going on.
The same happened last year, I have no issue in them roping it off during display movements but last year I think the tower forgot to pass on the message that the planes had now landed and they could release the crowds. We waited for 30minutes after the final display aircraft had touched down.

F355GTS

3,723 posts

256 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
ecsrobin said:
F1JHerbert said:
I had a chat with one of the rope girls. She was saying they were getting different messages over the radio, that it was a case of the righthand didn't know what the lefthand was doing etc.

Before the last race they closed the rope. Which (and I am not accusing/blaming anyone) then caused a bottle neck and a log jam. Due to the large number of people at the first corner, people could not sit and watch the last race. Due to people standing. It was closed for a good while before it was open again. Which then caused a stampede of people.

I suggest that Goodwood have a look at the organisation of the part of Madgwicks. Because it is a popular place to sit (if you have to move after every race. So be it). I think it may one have been closed off, shortly after the Vulcan was due to come. Closing it around 4:30pm for about Half an hour or so,because of the planes leaving. But yet all day people were walking throughout the day without a problem. Closing it for a good thirty minutes at 4:30pm, when a high volume of people were leaving seemed a bit ridiculous. As we were penned into a small area. Which would have meant having to walk all the way round the circuit. I am not blaming or accusing anyone.

It seemed more the lack of communication and disorganisation. As if it was all done hurriedly, with it there. As the poor young girls there didn't really know what was going on.
The same happened last year, I have no issue in them roping it off during display movements but last year I think the tower forgot to pass on the message that the planes had now landed and they could release the crowds. We waited for 30minutes after the final display aircraft had touched down.
It was not brilliantly planned, they moved everybody on at 15.30, before the start of the drum brake Ferrari race which was running late, incredibly frustrating as there was nothing in the air, then reopened it at 16.20 some 15 mins after the air display finished which was just circuits by the 4 aircraft, mostly which flew directly over us rather than the cleared area confused

richebets

268 posts

199 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
I am not sure which area to which the op and dog was writing about , But I think the area that has caused and was causing the most Greif to many spectators was the bank at madgwick .

the areas between lavant straight and between madgwick and fordwater have always being closed off during air displays for many years , like wise the runway crossing from lavant straight too. nearly everyone knows this and happily puts up with it!
I know a few revival visitors hate the air displays and cannot see the point of them ...although been a aviation enthusiast myself its does beg the question that some of the aircraft on display never had anything to do with goodwood, but that's for another debate ..

But the madgwick point is a new one (for reasons we all know why) . But why was it kept closed after a group of planes had taken off or landed ? I know I waited to get past this point for at least 20 minutes (during air displays the line past madgwick corner and before fordwater is the 'cleared safety area') .
safety is one thing but bad organising is another.

F1JHerbert

538 posts

166 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
F355GTS said:
ecsrobin said:
F1JHerbert said:
I had a chat with one of the rope girls. She was saying they were getting different messages over the radio, that it was a case of the righthand didn't know what the lefthand was doing etc.

Before the last race they closed the rope. Which (and I am not accusing/blaming anyone) then caused a bottle neck and a log jam. Due to the large number of people at the first corner, people could not sit and watch the last race. Due to people standing. It was closed for a good while before it was open again. Which then caused a stampede of people.

I suggest that Goodwood have a look at the organisation of the part of Madgwicks. Because it is a popular place to sit (if you have to move after every race. So be it). I think it may one have been closed off, shortly after the Vulcan was due to come. Closing it around 4:30pm for about Half an hour or so,because of the planes leaving. But yet all day people were walking throughout the day without a problem. Closing it for a good thirty minutes at 4:30pm, when a high volume of people were leaving seemed a bit ridiculous. As we were penned into a small area. Which would have meant having to walk all the way round the circuit. I am not blaming or accusing anyone.

It seemed more the lack of communication and disorganisation. As if it was all done hurriedly, with it there. As the poor young girls there didn't really know what was going on.
The same happened last year, I have no issue in them roping it off during display movements but last year I think the tower forgot to pass on the message that the planes had now landed and they could release the crowds. We waited for 30minutes after the final display aircraft had touched down.
It was not brilliantly planned, they moved everybody on at 15.30, before the start of the drum brake Ferrari race which was running late, incredibly frustrating as there was nothing in the air, then reopened it at 16.20 some 15 mins after the air display finished which was just circuits by the 4 aircraft, mostly which flew directly over us rather than the cleared area confused
It was much better planned and organised today. Yesterday, The girls, were being told different information
every five minutes, Which caused some of the problems

Paul Leek

30 posts

149 months

Monday 14th September 2015
quotequote all
dogbucket said:
Yesterday before the last race a large crowd had formed waiting at that point to cross. A single bloke decided he was too good for this and ducked under the rope striding across no mans land with one of the rope girls walking backwards in front of him asking him to stop. He completely ignored her and once three quarters across she gave up and walked back shrugging her shoulders. A few minutes later the pace car came round and immediately a group who had no doubt been tutting the bloke moments earlier broke though the rope followed by everybody else, leaving the rope girls looking confused and forlornly still trying to hold people back.

Was really disappointed to see such behavior particularly having commented earlier in the day at the lack of litter etc. Couldnt help thinking that position would be better staffed by some big shouty persons if having to deal with these aholes.
I was there too, and saw all of that - I thought the behaviour of some people quite shameful. I remember a few years ago there were similar problems at the GRRC enclosure over on the Lavant Straight. GRRC changed the entrance staff from young people to the chaps in bowler hats and that did the trick.

We all know that the CAA regulations need to be enforced - perhaps Goodwood should have people from the services as stewards there.

Edited by Paul Leek on Monday 14th September 16:57

srob

11,625 posts

239 months

Monday 14th September 2015
quotequote all
We had a few words with a couple of people who were having a go at the rope girls.

One old woman (in normal modern clothes, no attempt for retro) loudly told everyone she was on the Goodwood Facebook page trying to leave feedback about how appalled she was to have to wait 20 mins for the flight display. Another old bloke was moaning that he'd paid for a grandstand seat that he 'couldn't get to' (for 20 mins...) and another (again no period clothes, head to toe in Ferrari gear) moaning that the tractors were allowed through (which are the other side of the grass bank...).

We sat on the bank with a beer and watched the spectacle of Spitfires taking off closer than you'd see anywhere else. My mrs wanted to tell the old woman to get a life but she was so angry she'd have probably punched my OH!

I did feel sorry for the chap who had just spent 7 quid on teas then got caught for 20-odd minutes. Reckon they were cold when delivered, but he laughed it off in the spirit of 'oh well, could be worse'!