My Goodwood Revival Experience

 by Annie Jenkins

Firstly, what actually is the Goodwood Revival you might be wondering? The Goodwood Revival is a three-day event which has been held each year at the Goodwood Motor Circuit since 1998 in Chichester. The Revival is the only historic race meeting which is staged entirely in period dress and it is a return to the halcyon days of Goodwood. The event is a celebration of all types of motorsport racing which takes place around the classic circuit at Goodwood, which still remains unchanged since its heyday. Fans come from all around the world to visit the most celebrated historic motor racing event, which is of course the Goodwood revival, where they come to experience the unique atmosphere of the Revival dressed in authentic period costume.

The Revival is a magical step back in time to the fabulous 1940s, 50s and 60s. The Revival is not only about motorsport but it is also all about fashion. This particular era of fashion at the Revival is celebrated and cherished by all of Goodwoods guests. You can transport yourself back in time for a day or two and immerse yourself in the wonderful essence of the Revival. Often people say if you don’t dress up for the event you will feel very out of place and I completely understand and agree with that statement now since experiencing the Revival for the first time! Everyone looked spectacular in their frocks and tweeds and I did not see one pair of normal day jeans. 

Last weekend was my first time attending this world class event, known as The Goodwood Revival. However, I was not attending the Revival as a guest, I was actually working on this spectacular, one of a kind event. I worked all day, every day for the full three days which the event takes place over. I was lucky enough to be a part of this incredible event by being a part of The Goodwood Actors Guild. I had to audition to be a part of The Guild a couple months prior to the event and I was successful enough to be put on their books. I was then cast (as were many other actors too) to work on the Revival as an actor which was an amazing experience and I loved every second.

My job at the Revival was a rather different and extraordinary experience compared to a standard job of my age. My job for the event was the following - in the morning I was dressed as an ATS Military girl where I greeted VIP guests and in the afternoon I was an Aviation Girl where I walked around with three other girls dressed like me and a pilot (much like the scene from the film ‘Catch me if you can’) and interacted and took pictures with the guests. Part of my job was to put on an act for the public so they can really immerse themselves and experience the era of the event as if it was real life. I thoroughly enjoyed it (even though my feet were extremely sore after wearing heels for three days straight!). The whole experience was like no other as it appeared that everyone had gone back in time and it truly was the 1940s, 50s or 60s. The whole atmosphere was incredible and I loved how not all of the guests knew if we were part of the act or not. All the guests seemed to enjoy and love interacting with all of the actors at the Revival and I think it really adds to their unique experience for every single guest.

The lovely, amazing Sue O’Donoghue runs the Goodwood Actors Guild which was founded in 2006. The Guild makes the revival so unique and different compared to any other similar events. There are now around 400 people on their books, ranging in ages from 8 to 80. They have their own costume department which holds around 8,000 different items, lovingly cared for by Sue and the rest of the team. The Revival is one of the biggest events for the team but they don’t just work on the revival. They can also perform at lots of other events throughout the year and in 2016 they actually appeared in the popular series known as Downton Abbey. Every single person who was a part of the event did such an incredible job. I never realised how much work goes into the Revival behind the scenes and the huge scale of this operation. 

I am extremely grateful to have been a part of the Revival this year and I hope to work on it again next year! I had a lot of fun and I loved every second of it; it was an experience like no other. I think one of my highlights from the whole weekend was meeting Jenson Button and having a picture with him! Finally, as Lord March said Revive and Thrive at the Revival.