Goodwood's Revival Meeting, the event that sees its timewarp 1960s race circuit totally dressed up and wound back in time to the 1950s and 1960s with thousands of exhibits all in the period and all 100,000+ visitors encouraged to wear clothing that blends in, is gearing up for another spectacular long weekend on August 31 to September 2.
On Ladies' Day, September 1, style leaders such as Twiggy will be out selecting the best-dressed ladies among the crowd and rewarding them with flowers and champagne.
Last used for serious racing in 1966, the Goodwood Circuit around its Westhampnett airfield near Chichester is a wonderful location for the historic race meeting of the year- and it's so much more than just a race meeting.
The fields in the centre are specially grown and cut with 'stooks' as in the 1950s and the airfield itself attracts a spectacular concours of airworthy pre-1967 aircraft for the weekend. Around 30 are expected, including the world's oldest airworthy Spitfire Mk1a, Sir Alex Henshaw's Mew Gull, a Tipsy Trainer, Foster Wickner, C47 military Dakota, Vickers Vimy and N3N-3 biplane.
The Revival's period garage is being transformed into an exciting Art Deco building, recreating a showroom of the period stacked with Ferraris to celebrate the marque's 60th birthday, the traditional wooden garage moving to another location.
All around the Goodwood Motor Circuit site, there are many actors, role-playing and acting out scenes from a bygone era. Spivs selling nylons and watches from beneath their coats; Mods and Rockers hanging out and dancing, then being 'moved on' by the local bobbies; comedic workmen preparing to dig a hole in the most inappropriate places; Airline Captains, with a string of adoring air hostesses in tow; the Dad's Army home guard and even iconic figures such as Marilyn Monroe, George Formby and Laurel & Hardy are all to be found at the Revival.
This year they are joined by pit-lane pin-ups in Swinging Sixties PVC outfits, performing duties on the grid. A selection of touring caravans, with appropriate towcars, from the 1920s to the 1960s add period flavour and help mark the 100th birthday of the Caravan Club - and will parade around the circuit at lunchtime each day.
The stunning selection of cars and motorcycles lined up for the racing is just too great to list, so take a look at www.goodwood.co.uk for more info.
Malcolm McKay, Motorbase News Editor
