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GOODWOOD
festival of speed 2005
If you'd like to know about my experience at the
FOS, read on, or you can skip the text
and view the pics.
What a great day out. It started with a fairly
relaxing 2-hour drive from Camberwell in South London to the festival
grounds in Chichester. Once I left the A3 just south of Guildford,
the run down the A283/A285 was scenic and engaging.
There was a bit of a queue to get to the parking
areas, but it was well-managed. Finding a spot wasn't actually
a problem, and it was only a short walk to the new forest rally
stage.
After hanging around the rally paddock for a bit, we made our
way through the forest toward the main grounds, all the while
hearing racing machines of all sorts screaming up the hill to
our right, one after the other, in quick succession. On the left,
you could see/hear the rally cars slithering about and kicking
up dust between the trees.
Once we got to the bottom of the hill climb route,
we found that everything was well-situated throughout the grounds.
It was easy for us to occupy ourselves from our 11am arrival to
our 4:30pm departure. As for the food: I think our money will
be better spent on a picnic lunch next year, and anyway, there's
plenty of space to spread out and relax. A portable chair is a
good idea, too.
On the advice of an experienced attendee, we
picked up a programme at the first opportunity (worth the £10
- plus we got an earpiece radio thrown in for free) to help us
get our bearings and find out what's happening on the day, and
when.
To get the best views of the cars, you've got to check your programme
to see what's running at what time. Then wait for crowds to disperse
from the barriers (from the previous running), find a decent patch
up front, and be patient until the next running begins. While
you wait, you can relax on your portable chairs (which I will
get next time).
Since all the cars on show will run two or more
times for the day, you can always get a better view later if you've
missed something earlier. The grandstand costs more and offers
a guaranteed view, but unless you're prepared to pay extra for
the privilege, I think a trackside spot is far more exciting.
Overall. I think Goodwood is a well-organised,
exciting event with lots to see and experience. I may even attend
their vintage-themed Revival event in the Autumn. It's also very
family-friendly, with activities for little ones as young as three
years old. Even the drive out of Chichester was fun! Definitely
a great day out.
Words and images by G Morgan
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