The 'E' Type Forum

Visited the revival on Saturday, diving across the muddy field was fun!
Don't know if I'm just getting old, but seems to me that the event is getting over subscribed!!! Never seen it so busy, difficult to get anywhere worth being at, maybe a victim of it's own success??

I was there on the sunday. Lots of mud being churned up by tractors. When l finally got in, l was annoyed that l needed additional passes for everything. Grandstands, the tunnel under the track, paddock - just about everything. Lord Marchs' guests were all ok though, we were held up by one of their chauffers as he blocked the road without even a nod to apologise.

The racing was good and we enjoyed watching the TT from Lavant.

And l agree, too many people.

I was there on friday and it was a washout. Its a pretty elitist event, and as you say, if you are a guest of corporate entertainment or a sponsor or just a friend of March then its a pretty good do. If you are the rest of us, you do feel a little like you are on the outside looking in. But its still fabulous spectacle and I have been every year since 1999 except one.

Our first visit to the event, over from Australia. We went on the Saturday (really lucky with the weather!). Thought it was fantastic and brilliantly organised. Really unique and second to none in the world. Yes would have been good to have access to some of the grandstands at least, but had access to just about everywhere else, including some of the paddocks, emporium, trackside, over the road, etc. No surprises there as to what you could and could not access as it was all very clearly spelt out and identified when purchasing your tickets.
A look in at the Bonhams auction would have been nice, but we knew it was by Catalogue purchase only, so no complaints.
Only disappointing bit was the very muddy car park, but I think the organisers did pretty well to minimise the slop with board walks and straw as much as possible considering the amount of rain they had on the Friday. Glad we weren't there then, as it would have put a bit of a damper on the whole day and overall experience.
All in all we had a brilliant day, even my wife who is not so much into cars, but does tolerate my passion.

Was my first visit to Goodwood Revival also. I was there on the Friday so looked like a drowned rat after about an hour.

I guess my expectations of the event were somewhat different from the reality. Totally agree the it is a tad oversubscribed, even on the Friday there seemed to be far too many drowned rats wandering around in the spaces available. Difficult to move about, even more difficult to get near anything remotely interesting. That said the jag barn was worth the visit with a free coffee and bacon roll to boot.

Not sure i'll be beating a path back again....the missus on the other hand will probably be organising a trip for herself and the rest of her coven dressed in their finest 60's gear.

Kevin

I've been going for the last nine years, one day each year, changing the day year after year. I've not yet had a complete wash out, but it has been a while since I had a bright and sunny day. I like the event despite the crowds, and always have done. Usually we go with friends or meet friends there.

I've never managed to see everything I want in one day, but I don't mind that.

This year, for the first time, the Over the road Show was inside the ticket area. Previously it was an extra, the ticket covered circuit access. As long as you had a weekend carpark sticker in your car you could spend the whole day there. So a lot of people did a day in the circuit and another day over the road on one day's ticket.

It won't be long before an extra day is added just as they did for the FOS. I predict a restricted access Thursday option for GRRC members soon.

This year's carpark mud bath could have been made a little easier if the carpark Nazis had been able to use what little brain they had. Once an access point becomes a quagmire they should have roped it off and opened a new access a few yards further away, even if that meant tearing up fence. That would have helped those on Saturday and Sunday who had to be towed out. I had a run in with one of these jobsworths, he stood his ground, I turned round and went in (to where he denied me access) through another entrance. Nazi 0, Me 1. It meant I had no problems getting out on Saturday evening, despite the rain starting again, unlike those who had parked where I was directed to go.

Its the best place on earth when the sun shines.

Where other cars could not go on muddy fields the E -type did-with its locking diff.

Just cruised though it without getting stuck.

Wish I could have made it this year.

Took the best part of a day to clean it though afterwards, especially under the bonnet, even with a proper power washer.

We also went on the Sunday. Just about managed to avoid the worst of the rain!

I agree it does seem to be getting a but busy and exclusive, particularly as I'm not a 'VIP'! It's definitely harder to get round the areas you used to be able to, for both the number of people there and the increase of restricted areas.

It's still a great trip and was awesome to see the E Types battling with Cobras, Ferraris etc! I'm just sad I didn't get the time to also have a good wander round the classic car park and stalls. Well, there's always next year!

This was my first visit to Goodwood, I was lucky enough to be there Friday and Saturday. What an event! Watching the races and watching the cars come in and out of the paddocks has to be my favorite, but also the planes and the flyovers were great fun to see. And of course the cars in the parking area. Everyone we met was very friendly. I thought the event was overall very well organized and I had a great time. Friday weather was dismal and furthered the bit muddy parking on Saturday when I took the E to parking. I didn't get stuck in the mud, but a few others did and had to be pushed out. We stayed in Camping H near Goodwood House, where one neighbouring camper came with his Blower Bentley (at least I think that's what it was) or a replica - wow! Now I know what to save up for, can't take more than a couple hundred years. I went two days early (trailored the E to Goodwood) and was able to visit a Forum member (thanks for the invitation!) and make a day run to the coast. Great driving in England. At Goodwood, most were dressed up which is not a must but adds to the flair. Met two fellow members on Saturday. Had way too little time together - next time I'll plan in more time to meet people, it makes the day to put faces to names! Here some snapshots.

Martin











Someone got stuck on the M23 southbound, just south of the M25, hope they got home ok:

When I went it was good weather but like it has been said, you feel you are on the outside looking in . Or as I felt, all dressed up with no party to go to unless you were one of the inner circle.

They really need to think about how they can improve things for to not so lucky to feel more part of the event. I think it will take a lot for me to go again. Maybe the E Type Club or JEC should have a big tent for their members to mingle and have a big party.

Hi all . As luck would have it we booked for the Saturday, so the weather was on side . Enjoyed the racing and getting up close to the E Types in the paddock


This is one of the advantages of wearing my race overall (they're dunlop classics ) I look like I know where I'm going ..... and just keep going it tends to get me into a few places I shouldn't really be
. To be honest these days I prefer the members meet . A lot more civilised.
Also it's a shame "over the road " has become ticketed in the past I would do one day inside and pop back down to do "over the road "
I found the pre 66 parking not to bad but this could of been luck of the draw where we was parked

Couldn't resist this photo on way out my wife's reasonably clean E next to lightweight rep that looked like it had been so a stage rally

Our 20th year. Went on Sunday. The Classic car park was doable if you were careful but there was no signage to say where the entrance was from the field - finally found a hole and later found the right place some walk off to one side. How many times did they check tickets, jeez that was irritating.

Day excellent and feel grateful we got away with x5 great races before it rained again. Amazed to see the place only half full so we could go anywhere and view easily - even the Chicane which had had one grandstand removed so us plebs could see the start. Great day but Weather must have played it's part.

Note to self: don't bother with Over the Road steak sandwich - over priced rubbish - the pub is better and more comfortable!

The pre tax parking

I would have commented on this thread before, but in order to dry out from Goodwood I've been spending the last fortnight lying in the sunshine

I echo a lot of what's been said above. We went down on the Saturday and Sunday, planning on doing 'Over the Road' on Saturday and the event proper on Sunday. Like others we were somewhat <ahem> surprised to find therefore that the Over the Road bit was this year brought inside the ticketed enclosure. I really don't see the point of this at all: Over the Road is where people sell you stuff - and who's going to pay for the privilege of doing that? As it was we were able to employ some 'cunning subterfuge'. Result - we went home happy having nosed around the trade stands, and the retailers went home happy because we bought stuff (and got lots of other ideas for stuff we'll doubtless be buying later). A nice relaxed day, not worrying about what we were missing out on track, and able to spend time looking round some of the magnificent cars in the Pre-Tax car park, and just as importantly working out a relatively mud-free route out of the car park for later.

Sunday we went in on full race tickets and this time bypassed all the retail village (seen it all before! ) and instead spent a very happy day taking in the racing, the paddock area, and the splendid gathering of aeroplanes. The TT race in particular was thoroughly enjoyable - especially as an E-type took honours

Noting the state of the car parks on the second day we resolved to get the hell out of there before everyone returned to their cars and made things inevitably worse. A good plan, but as anyone who was there will know, as soon as the TT race was over some absolutely filthy rain set in good and hard and so everyone decided to beat a retreat. As it was the car park became a re-enactment of the Battle of Somme and it took forever to get out Ah well, at least the cold wet weather prevented any overheating issues and the rain helped wash the mud off (sort of).

The drive home saw some of the worst driving conditions I've witnessed in a long time, but barring the odd minor cabin drip the E-type coped admirably. The same unfortunately cannot be said for the chap in front of us in the Austin-Healey Sprite, who, roof down in the pouring rain, took off like a scalded cat near Billingshurst (with me saying to my lad "Blimey, he's brave"), only for us to encounter him two corners further on, sideways across the road with the whole rear end staved in and his ruptured fuel tank busily now leaking fuel. Poor chap. We helped him to get out and made a few phonecalls. He was fine - terribly British about the whole thing and apologising profusely for all the fuss he was causing - but I doubt his pretty little Austin-Healey will see the light of day again

As ever Goodwood itself was like nothing else you'll ever encounter. It's easy to find fault, and like many others here I feel I'd enjoy it more if we could just have the cars and the aeroplanes and dispense with all the people who go along simply because they welcome an excuse to wear silly clothes, but there's no denying it lends a unique feel to the whole event. Interestingly Silverstone Grand Prix prices draw frequent criticism, but Goodwood charges as much if not more and the place is absolutely packed.

chrisfell wrote: This year's carpark mud bath could have been made a little easier if the carpark Nazis had been able to use what little brain they had. Once an access point becomes a quagmire they should have roped it off and opened a new access a few yards further away, even if that meant tearing up fence. That would have helped those on Saturday and Sunday who had to be towed out. I had a run in with one of these jobsworths, he stood his ground, I turned round and went in (to where he denied me access) through another entrance. Nazi 0, Me 1.

I had a similar experience with the jobsworths directing traffic. I took a coach party down in the morning, but didn't stay, because a) the weather was lousy and b) I couldn't buy admission on the day.
Went back in the evening to pick them up & the access road was closed. Had to find a way to turn a 40ft bus around and go in via the only access route that was open, which was a single-track road full of potholes, and had to contend with loads of traffic coming out via the only road in. Knocked the nearside mirror off on the impossibly narrow bits. Finally reached a cross-roads & managed to figure out where the Hell I was. Unfortunately I needed to turn right to get back to my passengers, but the jobsworths on point duty wouldn't let me. The single-track road was already full of exiting traffic anyway, so the coach wouldn't have fit. They told me to turn left, go right around Chichester & try to find a way in from another direction. I told them no way. By then I was already half an hour late. They had a van parked on the right hand side of the road so I told them I would park behind that & call my passengers to walk the half mile or so to where I was. "You can't park there." You can't reverse". We can't see you back, we're not banksmen", they said. I said watch me - they said we're calling the police - I said please do. So I reversed to try & tuck myself in behind their van. I heard a yell, - it turned out one of them had deliberately stood behind me so I would hit him, then he accused me of assaulting him with my coach. And I had to do all that with one mirror missing and a mile long queue of traffic behind me.
They soon had an even bigger problem though - another coach pulled up alongside me. He wanted to go straight across the crossroads to his pick-up point. There was a 'road closed' sign blocking the road but no traffic exiting. Jobsworths wouldn't let him go across, so he just sat there. And sat there. And sat there. Must have been half an hour with a mounting cacophony of car horns from the million or so cars that were now stuck behind said coach. Eventually some very nice policemen turned up & told jobsworths to take the sign down & let him through. By which time my passengers had squelched their way along the muddy track to where I was parked.
The whole thing was an absolute freakin' nightmare. What is it with these people? Give them a yellow jacket and they think they're God Almighty. I shan't be going there agin for love nor money.