We are going to the Festival of Speed, do you think it is a good idea to take the children?
The reply was, it's a great day out but you may be limited to what you see depending on little ones interest and no, taking our pull along wagon probably was going to be more trouble that it was worth.
About mid week we committed to the decision to leave T & P at my mums for the day, above friend reminded me that my girls need a break from me too.
Mmmmm Good point wise owl.
They settled in under 3 minutes and 45 mins behind schedule we were off to
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2012.
A reported 48,000 people attend the festival on that Sunday and you could see the majority of them on the A road after 8am. You can tell who they are, men with their sons, groups of blokes examining their tickets or lone fellas with thier loving female partners alongside in the front.
All of them like us will have cleaned all or part of their cars and you can tell who's not going because they are the ones shaking their heads in disbelief stuck in the tail back.
If you miss anyone you can catch up with them in the car park because it feels like 48.000 of them share the same field.
If you think it's going to take you an hour to get there add on another hour and a half minimum and just when you think you've made it, you'll stand idle again.
Make sure your bladder is empty. Lots of blokes on the way seemed to have trouble with this female reminder.
Lord March opens up his home, Goodwood, and fills it full of cars with the aim that everyone attending should have access to everything.
And you do.
Except for the house/balcony where the other 2000 or personally invited guests go but they also go everywhere with everyone else too if you know what I mean.
Although maybe not to the Eco toilet or in fact any where near the big car park.
The grounds are beautifully kept and it is clean and so well maintained and it is certainly chilled and relaxed atmosphere and not having the children added to this, I think it was about noon when I said, I'm so glad we didn't bring them.
Right!
So from a girls point of view, when you strip it down there seems to be a race track that is in the middle of things, this is actually a hill and all the cars at the festival who fancy the challenge can I presume race up it and try to register a good time.
Around that are various stands with show cars, standard models, super, F1 paddocks and vintage etc.
The idea is to casually wander round these cars watch the racing and just hang out.
There are lots of, yep, that's mine, that's the one for me conversations to be heard.
Probably due to health and safety there needs to be this hay wall plus some space and a roped off section all around the track. The majority of cars are low slung which makes it difficult to see whats speeding past if you are under 7ft tall, there are stands to sit in but they are ticketed and the price was well past our budget. Helpfully there are big screens to watch what you can't see and you can sit and have a picnic whilst it's all going on.
I don't have that many pics of the track racing and displays as I am not that tall instead decided to catch up on family news with my friend (see top of this post) who had decided, what the hell, lets go again too and we lazed on a blanket and chilled which was exceptional use of time...no KIDS !!!
Hurrah!
In the middle of it all this fighter jet took to the sky and that really roared and really sent a rumble through your heart...fantastic. I didn't think that the cars were that loud actually.
Then we had a wander, blah blah blah.
In the classic section there is a band stand and deck chairs and it's just nice and relaxed, more wandering around.
Our man at McLaren had invited us too the festival and he made this, well, engineered the bumpers front and back and it was my highlight and excitement to see his work.
This is what was parked next to it, you can't see but it has the most silly shape wing mirrors they might have to take them off to open the doors
and these women had legs like console tables. Nope seeing these was the highlight, sorry G.
Decided not to take a picnic and buy lunch on sight, it was a glam meat burger thing that I think I only recently fully digested. It was the same price as a whole shop bought lovely picnic but with no children in tow I just didn't want the extra hassle and thought sod it lets buy lunch there.
It wasn't a let down I just thought there might be more variety so should we go again I might come more prepared.
I took alcohol wipes and braved the flushing Eco toilets on the way out because I thought we might be stuck for 2 hours trying to get out the car park, but actually it was no trouble the boys in high viz vests really had a system and all it took was a couple of sneaky wrong turns finding the exit and we were out in a jiffy.
About 5pm the roads were clear and we got back to the girls before expected and all was good.
In the end there was no super car I would have if I won the lottery just a Land Rover pick up or something similar I am just not that flash.
But what I would really love would be the VIP entrance pass that means that you can avoid the queue and discreetly come and go as quickly as you please.
Great Day
CM
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