goodwood revival too big for its own good

goodwood revival too big for its own good

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vjj

Original Poster:

592 posts

238 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
Went there Friday
What a load of crap - great cars notwithstanding
I had VIP comps courtesy of LR but it took me nearly 3 hours to get in after a 90 minute drive

Too many people and too many distractions

Couldn't get near the daytona cobras

Had to que for ages to get a beer

Massive lines for toilets as well

Total bunch of nonsense - the racing is incidental - whereas it should be the whole point.

Then at about 3.30 - just when I had found somewhere sensible to watch the spitfires and P51s flying - some demented cow dressed up as Maria Von Trapp turned up with seven brats of various ages resplendent in faux lederhosen and dresses made from me nan's parlour curtains and promptly started terrorising me with appallingly twee close harmony singing!!!!!!

It was awful - completely awful.

I returned totally dejected to the main car park

I wandered into the pre-66 parking area

Bristols,Jags,Astons,the usual fine assortment

But my boyhood dream cars were also there

A beautiful Facel Vega HK500 AND a Gordon-Keeble

So at least I left happy having seen those

But the event itself was crap

Edited by vjj on Sunday 13th September 14:34

steve2

1,771 posts

217 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
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How it took you 3 hours to get in is wired as we had no trouble at all,
The Revival has never been about the cars only and yes it has got busier, get along to the members meeting which is a lot less crowded

heebeegeetee

28,591 posts

247 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
If it was crap, you would have walked in and out of the event no problem, but as it's the greatest motoring event on earth, you're not going to do that.

As with any good event, you *must* do a bit of planning. If you don't, you will have the experience you had. That would apply to any event on a global scale.

I couldn't go this year, but I go most years and never have the difficulties you had. I've never stood in any really lengthy queue that I can recall.

The track is easily accessible and has many great corners, each of which has a number of different great view points. The racing is absolutely fantastic.

You'll get out what you put in, but it really doesn't take much effort to have a wonderful time.

Edited by heebeegeetee on Sunday 13th September 16:09

ruebdo

291 posts

165 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
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I as there on Saturday and I thought it was brilliant.

An amazing event!!

normalbloke

7,401 posts

218 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
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Get up earlier. We walked through the gates at 7:30. We queued to get into the car park for 15 minutes tops. We did not queue again for the rest of the day. We had no issues getting near to the Cobras.

p.s. There is never ANY racing on a Friday.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,230 posts

234 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
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Arrived 7.45 Saturday, no queues. Didn't queue for any toilet breaks.

The route to Lavant was good, was poor at Madgwick as the tractor route was barred to peds.

Overall, superb

dudlow

194 posts

222 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
ruebdo said:
I as there on Saturday and I thought it was brilliant.

An amazing event!!
Ditto.
Always a stunning event.

kurt535

3,559 posts

116 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
Have to agree with many of VJJ's comments. Getting to an event for 07:30 doesn't personally work for me.....

I too had murders driving in for 9am on every day. Racing does now feel very incidental. It was also quite a task to get a viewing point where you could see some action unless you've paid up for the grandstand views. Woodcote was 10 deep on Sat PM and not really much fun.

Each to their own but scaling back to Member's Meet only from herein.

However, on the upside, I quite liked the atmosphere 'over the road' and could see a lot of people make it their annual Goodwood Revival without the ticket bit; a big screen you could see, seats, toilets, big tents if it got wet.


petery

357 posts

209 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
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been today drove straight in at 9am parked just behind the classic car park and drove straight out at the end of the day after the last race. 3rd year in a row that it has been like that for us.

its a busy event but what do you expect when its the biggest historic car meet of the year

kurt535

3,559 posts

116 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
As I said Petery, each to their own.Good fortune with the parking. Pleased for you.

spaximus

4,230 posts

252 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
Went for Saturday and Sunday and to be honest there are issues but none that take away the atmosphere, the style and the racing.
We drove in at 7.00am having stayed in the motorhome locally, had breakfast then changed into the outfits for day one. My wife loves the dressing up and I find it great to be among people who aren't wearing a shiney track suit or a football shirt. She had her hair done at 8.00am and then it was off around the track side.
We had roving tickets for the grandstand on Saturday, which a lunch booked at the Cedar Room at the hotel. Transport too and from in vintage cars.
Spent most of the day at the Lavant end and was rewarded by fantastic racing.
Sunday much the same, but no lunch and no grandstand. If you went anywhere outside the main area there was plenty of places to watch the racing and with several huge screens there was no missing action elsewhere.

Problems, too few coffee stands, the ones there were took forever to dish out the goods so queues were long and twice they ran out. Food is expensive, but you know it will be, so take a sandwich.
The flying bits were too long for me, but it would be churlish for anyone to moan at the time taken to honour the old ex RAF guys driven around the circuit to a standing ovation, on the Sunday. A moving address by Lord March and the last post being played was a real lump in throat moment and was given due respect by all around me.
As for the Von Trapps, this is part of the event, what makes it what it is.
I wish I could get free tickets

john2443

6,325 posts

210 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
kurt535 said:
It was also quite a task to get a viewing point where you could see some action unless you've paid up for the grandstand views.
If you walk for 10 mins, anywhere away from Woodcote/ chicane / start-finish / Madgewick there's plenty of space.

Year 1 was more about petrol heads. There wasn't any dressing up that I remember and more of 'ordinary' people were racing, people weren't spending shed loads of money building cars specifically for Goodwood with celeb drivers (there were F1 drivers, but IIRC not celeb chefs and authors) but since then it's grown and sadly become one of the places to be seen (if you're posh) - Wimbledon, Ascot, Henley, Revival.

Despite that and the inability to employ anyone with any knowledge of classics or common sense to marshal the car parks, it's still the best race classic meeting in the world smile

JBE68

246 posts

147 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
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I left Kingston upon Thames at 7am and, including a fuel stop on the A3, I was in the Jackie Stewart Pavilion on the grid at 830am having driven via Petersfield and Lavant. Really enjoyed the Ferrari stand in the Earls Court centre and getting there that early allowed plenty of time to wander through the paddock and the aircraft. But, I left to see AMWorks at 1130am and the queues to get back through the tunnel were hideous and I do agree that the event has now burgeoned beyond an enjoyable size. To me it simply reinforces why the members meeting is the one to attend.

scutt11

221 posts

156 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
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Really enjoy revival I am there for the racing you can keep all of the rest thank you. As mentioned before makes you appreciate members meeting even more, only 6 months to go!

34053

50 posts

108 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
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I went to Revival in 1998 - the first one. I didn't dress up and felt a complete fool as almost everyone else was. The answer is to camp arriving on the Thursday and leaving on the Monday. All queues are therefore avoided.

The event is still excellent. For those who want better views of the action I recommend joining the GRRC.I did in 1998 and its still good for me.

heebeegeetee

28,591 posts

247 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
quotequote all
34053 said:
I went to Revival in 1998 - the first one. I didn't dress up and felt a complete fool as almost everyone else was. The answer is to camp arriving on the Thursday and leaving on the Monday. All queues are therefore avoided.

The event is still excellent. For those who want better views of the action I recommend joining the GRRC.I did in 1998 and its still good for me.
Can't comment on the camping but I'd agree with with everything else you've said.
--

The members meeting is also great, obviously there's far fewer people but also much less atmosphere, but the racing is the same, imo.

ps01

218 posts

204 months

Monday 14th September 2015
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Was there Saturday - fantastic event. Authenticity and attention to detail throughout are superb.

Paul.

PompeyM3

1,847 posts

204 months

Monday 14th September 2015
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Amazing event yet again. Seems there's more to see every year, so I'll be looking to do all 3 days next year.

Didn't have any issues with queues getting in or out. Prices for food and drink were about the norm for any event of this size (but better quality).

I did think there were less people dressing up this year, perhaps more people going for the first time ?.

Roll on the next members meeting.

stevemiller

533 posts

164 months

Monday 14th September 2015
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Fourth year in a row 3 days each time , will be here next year touch wood!! Never felt short changed well may be the Vulcan bit.

v8250

2,724 posts

210 months

Monday 14th September 2015
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steve2 said:
The Revival has never been about the cars only...
Utter rubbish. The Revival has always been about the cars...the bikes, and the competitors...without them there would be no Revival.

It's only the fact that Lord March and the GRRCompany have turned, what is purported to be, the greatest motorsports event into an overpriced fancy dress party for the masses. The Revival has not been, for at least a decade, about the cars, the bikes, the historic racing. As an ex-GRRC member, I...like so many many others...have intentionally not been to the Revival for the past seven years. I was there for every one, from year one, until the event became excessively commercialized...ballooning into its current overpriced, overfed, semi-sycophantic colossus.