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A Day At The Glorious Goodwood Revival

As much as I love the age of the smart phone and social media sometimes I think they did it better before…those days of glamour and romance when not everything was shared on the internet. I love those opportunities to take a step back in time and see what it was like then…the last time I did it was my trip on the Belmond British Pullman Train and a glimpse into the Golden Age of train journeys this time I’d be revisiting the past to see motor racing as it used to be at the Goodwood Revival.
I’d been kindly invited to the Goodwood Revival by one the show sponsors, Aspinal of London who gifted me a gorgeous bag to wear on the day out. Clad in my favourite Kate Spade dress, I channeled the 1950’s with a swing skirt which I think paired beautifully with my Mini Trunk Clutch in Deep Shine Navy Croc from Aspinal of London. Mr S donned smart trousers and a blazer and we caught the train to Chicester, which went rather conveniently from Victoria station. On the train we already spied lots of people in vintage garb from the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. Some people had really gone all out and we were super impressed by the effort. With the Golden Era of the Goodwood Motor Circuit being between 1948 and 1966 there were officers uniforms from the 1940’s, land girls in dungarees, tea dresses, furs and pin curls and lots of vibrant red lipstick. 
There’s lots to do at the event and although the Motor Circuit is central to the day’s activities, there’s also ‘Over the Road’ at Goodwood which includes drinking, dining and shopping experiences. There’s a funfair, roller disco, auction with Bonhams and even a cinema. 
As we had VIP tickets we headed straight for the Mess room, done out like a 1940’s bunker including vintage style singers and a brass band, it’s a great place to escape the crowds. 
It’s also quite perfectly positioned right next to the track so that you can truly get in the spirit of the day.  
The circuit itself is actually unchanged since it’s heyday and attracts some of the biggest names in motorsports and well as dedicated enthusiasts.  The first Revival opened back on 18 September 1998, and when the Earl of March drove around the circuit in the Bristol 400. The car that originally opened the track 50 years driven by his grandfather, the 9th Duke of Richmond.

A champagne brunch is served with the purchase of Mess tickets but with it being an almost two hour journey from Victoria, we missed the brunch but we were fortunately there to enjoy the three course lunch.

I did think how often do you get to go to an event like the Goodwood Revival? So we bought our own bottle of Veuve Cliquot, who also sponsor the event, to enjoy by the track.
After enjoying our bubbly we picked up some of the food served buffet style – it truly was best of British with smoked salmon and prawns to start, a classic Sunday roast for main course and rhubarb crumble for dessert. After filling up on lunch we went to explore the rest of the event. 
You can get right into the paddocks and up close and personal with rare and priceless cars – a huge car enthusiast, Mr S was in his element as we saw vintage Jaguars, Ferraris and Bugattis.
The mini trunk bag was the perfect accessory for the day, with a vintage style that’s a twist on the traditional trunk suitcase with gold trimmed corners and a gorgeous lock detail. A cross body strap is detachable and super useful on days like this when you need you hands free. It is a small bag but inside is a pouch for important cards and I can easily fit some make up, my phone and a spare charger in there.

Cars aren’t the only thing on show here. The Revival also highlights the history of aviation at Goodwood with the the Freddie March Spirit of Aviation show, now in it’s 10th year. 
And you can really get in the flying spirit with a helicopter flight!
Now regular readers will know I’m terrified of heights and though I’ve been in small planes before, I’ve never been in a helicopter. I was scared…plus the wind was picking up!
But as Aspinal of London had kindly arranged the flight for us, I thought I’d better man up. 
I’m so glad I did as it was a great way to get a different perspective on the event and to see the Goodwood Estate. It was also a good way to get my first taste of helicopter flying as we only flew for about ten minutes and didn’t go super high. Plus it was very smooth despite the wind.
After the flight we decided to head back to the Mess tent and enjoy the afternoon tea that was provided as part of the ticket. By then the wind had picked up even more and rain was beating down so it was a good opportunity to warm up too. The plan was to head to one of fashion shows at the Revival Emporium and we headed over with umbrellas in hand but by now the weather was truly terrible and unfortunately the show was cancelled. Taking that as a sign, Mr S and I thought it was probably best to head home as it would take nearly two hours to get back which was a shame but it’s hard to make the most of days like this when the weather is so bad.

So with regret we got back on the train at Chichester station and headed back to 2017.

I was a guest of Aspinal of London and Goodwood Revival