Cars, horses, glamour: a glorious summer awaits at Goodwood
IN his famous song the Stately Homes of England, Noel Coward noted of the nation’s country piles that “the fact that they have to be rebuilt / And frequently mortgaged to the hilt… certainly damps the fun / Of the eldest son…”
Try telling that to Charles Gordon-Lennox, eldest son of the 10th Duke of Richmond, Earl of March and Kinrara and custodian of the great country estate of Goodwood. The Old Etonian peer, 55, who goes by the day-to-day title of Lord March, has spent the past 20 years ensuring the health of the estate – and its magnificent, rather unusual stately home in which he and his family still live – by turning it into a playground for boys-own sporting pursuits like motor-racing, horse racing and flying, while installing it as a firm part of summer’s social whirl.
“I’m told the Festival of Speed is the only event of the last 20 years that’s found its way onto the Summer Season,” he says, reflecting on the annual car display that he founded in 1993. That year 30,000 people attended; this year it will be 175,000.
Goodwood’s own summer season is three-pronged: there’s the horse racing, for which the highlight is the week-long Glorious Goodwood at the end of July; the Festival of Speed (30 June-3 July) is the ultimate petrol-head knees-up, featuring time trials from cars of all eras, displays of the latest concept cars and supercars, wacky racers and demonstrations from F1 teams; and Goodwood Revival (16-18 September) for which the crowds dress up in vintage clobber to watch classic racing cars do battle round the circuit, as well as vintage air displays.
GLAMOUR OF RACING
“My grandfather built the race track after the war, and it was in its heyday in the period when motoring was dangerous and cars were beautiful,” says Lord March. “I think Goodwood still retains racing’s old sense of glamour.”
Add to that a thoroughly modern mix of A-list celebrities, F1 drivers, fashion, luxury brands and parties (Mark Ronson and Boy George are among this year’s DJ line-up), plus a world-class golf course, cricket (the house holds the oldest written set of cricket rules, drawn up by the Duke of Richmond in 1727), shooting and a swish hotel and spa, and it’s not hard to see why a trip to this picturesque corner of the Sussex Downs is a summer must for thousands of people.
Lord March points out that this is all merely an extension of what his ancestors had been doing for hundreds of years. The horse track came about because a previous duke enjoyed racing horses with friends (including the King) on top of the Downs, which crowds of locals used to turn out to watch – by 1802 this became a full public race meeting.
After the RAF sequestered part of the grounds for an airfield during the war, the 9th Duke, gentleman motor racer Freddie March, converted its perimeter road into a race track. The racing greats of the post-war years, from Graham Hill to Stirling Moss, all drove there, until it closed in 1966.
“All these sports – they didn’t just mess about at them, they did them seriously, so they soon developed wide followings,” says Lord March of his forebears. “Historically Goodwood has always been about shared experiences – the house has been open to the public since it was built, and we still want people to have that very special, very domestic-feeling experience.”
The setting undoubtedly helps. The racecourse, with the undulations of the Sussex Downs rising behind it, is one of the most beautiful flat courses in the country, while the car racetrack runs directly in front of the house itself.
HAMILTON AND BUTTON
This year’s highlights include a Glorious Goodwood ladies’ race between famous amateur women riders and trainers, including Sarah Cox, Susannah Constantine and Liz Hurley; appearances from Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Mark Webber among other F1 drivers, as well as Nigel Mansell and Sir Stirling Moss at the Festival of Speed; the world debut of the British high-performance car the BAC Mono (pictured), also at the FoS; and even dress making workshops at Goodwood Revival for those wanting to perfect their vintage threads.
“This is about theatre, about putting on things that surprise people and make them smile, but it really makes a difference when that’s backed up by the kind of history and heritage we have here,” says Lord March. “Ultimately, though, it’s all bloody good fun.”
GOODWOOD RACEWEEK CHARITY BALL AND LADIES’ DAY RACE – 27/28 JULY
The highpoint of glamour and fun at Goodwood this summer may well be the Raceweek Ball, being hosted by Lord March in Goodwood House on 27 July, the eve of Ladies’ Day, to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.
The ball, expected to be a glittering affair with 500 guests and plenty of celebrities and socialites, will include a champagne reception, sumptuous dinner and auction, before guests kick off their heels and party the night away. Tables of 10 for this event are £2,000.
The next day, Goodwood Ladies’ Day will feature a brand new race bang in the middle of the day – the Ladies’ Day Race in which brave celebs including Liz Hurley, Susannah Constantine and Dido Harding will be riding, with Issa, Lulu Guinness and Daisy Lowe on board as glamorous silks designers. All proceeds from the race go to the charity.
To book a table at the Raceweek Ball, email goodwood@gosh.org or call 020 7239 3174.
KEY DATES | GOODWOOD 2011
June 17 – Races and Mark Ronson
Seven horse races on the day, and a party in the evening led by the silky DJ skills of Mark Ronson.
June 30-July 3 – Festival of Speed
The largest motoring garden party in the world. Formula 1 drivers, unbelievable supercars, time trials, classic racing cars, motor bikes and the Cartier “Style et Luxe” concours d’elegance.
July 26-30 – Glorious Goodwood
Five days of exceptional racing at one of the most picturesque race courses in the country, including the Sussex Stakes (27 July), one of the world’s most famous mile races, and Ladies’ Day (28 July).
16-18 September – Goodwood Revival
Vintage outfits from the punters and even race wardens in Fifties-style boiler suits greet races between the most stunning classic cars. Recreating the era between 1948 and 1966 when Goodwood Motor Circuit was the country’s leading racing venue, it’s a dizzying mix of cars, ancient aeroplanes and magnificent period fashion.