Tag Archives: west sussex

Goodwood Revival 2008

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The above photo says everything that can possibly be said. But I’ll say some more anyway. Last weekend was the 10th anniversary of the Goodwood Revival. A long weekend of period (which seems to be anything from 1940’s up to the 1960’s) motor racing, air displays and fun.

As per normal, something is bound to go wrong… and it did. Big Time.

There were eight of us going to the Revival. And my responsibility was buying the several hundred pounds worth of tickets. Which I did, with my Dad, some months ago. Woohoo all done and sorted.

No?

So, Thursday night, before my parents arrive in the morning, I woke at about 3am thinking “I haven’t seen those tickets for a while”. And then failed to get back to sleep, just imagining the worst. At 7am I got up and started hunting for the tickets. I couldn’t find them. Oh.Good.God.

Then I found them woohooooo phewwww I can relax. There are the eight tickets now in my hand.

Eight tickets for the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2008. Not eight tickets for the Goodwood Revival in September 2008.

whimper

So, panicccccccccccc. I got on my bike, rode like the wind to Goodwood and ran slightly moist into the ticket office and pleaded total stupidity and being male. It didn’t work. The lady correctly pointed out that just because the tickets hadn’t had the stubs torn off didn’t mean they hadn’t been used and that I could just buy eight more. I whimpered more and waffled and begged and pleaded poverty (and then said that I went to the swanky restaurant at least once a week and had the night before spent £160 attending a champagne party oops). It eventually worked and she said “the best I can do is take these tickets off you and tell you that if you come in on Saturday morning tickets will be waiting for you”. I woohooooo’d and rode home, all sorted.

Of course, I didn’t sleep the next night as “what if she was ill and wasn’t there to give you tickets” as Ali kindly suggested might happen… but I was at the office at 7am and got the tickets phewwww.

So, we had a great day, the number of people dressing up was amazing but what really made it special was the number of actors mingling with the crowds. Everything was authentic, not a single vehicle newer than 1966 was allowed in with the 150,000 people. Luckily both my sisters were born before 1966 so they were allowed in hehe)

As we arrived some 1940’s police tried to arrest my Mum for not having a licence for the fur animal she was wearing, then some guys would try to sell you silk stockings from a suitcase only to be chased off by the police.

I saw russian spies, Laurel and Hardy, Marilyn Monroe, kids from Just William, Dad’s Army, Bikers and Mods having a big fight and so many more, was so cool. My sister even scored with a dishy road-work guy…

Didn’t get to see much car racing but will make up for that next year. Am glad everyone in my family had such a good time (I’ll work my Mum into this photo somehow) and it’s such a shame they can’t make it next year.

No, really, you can’t make it. Trust me, stop asking, I’m busy that weekend and the event is cancelled and and and. (-:

Pinned to the sky

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Yesterday I had the most truly amazing experience, one I didn’t think I’d ever be lucky enough to have… I got to fly in a second world war plane. The photo above is of my Harvard T-6. That actual plane was built in Canada in 1943 and used to train *actual* fighter pilots in WWII.

The history of the plane, and the lives of those who trained in it and what they went on to experience never left me through the entire flight. Young men who were just over half my age going up into the sky to possibly not come back, so amazing.

Now, not to be overly dramatic… but most of the entire event was a near death experience for me as well and I *surely* deserve a medal? My pilot Dieter was damned cool. Bloody good looking as well which is of course sickening. Once he got me into the passenger seat…

… it was a 5 minute explaination of the 4 things I had to do in the event of the “most likely” problem – engine failure. Surprisingly none of these four things was to poo myself. In fact, if we did experience an engine failure I think all 4 of my actions would have involved poo. Then it was engines started and we were off.

Holy crap I nearly cried, it was so stunning. I have never flown in a small plane before and it was like we were pinned to the sky. Everything was so smooth – which is a miracle for a 65yr old plane. I’m 38 and my ass is the only smooth part of me! Once we reached our altitude at which we could safely “glide down” (plummet to ground with lots of poo involved) into a field if the engine failed Dieter flew us over to the coast and gave me the controls!!!!

Aieee!

It was so so easy to fly though and so controllable. The big joystick thing you only had to move about 2inches and the plane just tilted into a turn and stayed there! I was expecting drama and winches! So I had a pootle (a 150mph pootle) over to Portsmouth and we had a laugh about how shitty a city it was, then we turned round and headed along the coast.

Before we took off I was worried about dying, mainly from hurling every single one of my bodily organs out of my mouth. But 15mins into the flight I was feeling awesome! I could see my house, water-skiers in the lakes below, ships coming into harbour, was a beautiful summers evening….

What could go wrong?

Everything? Yep

So, I was feeling good, unbelievable in fact. As I said before it felt we weren’t moving, that we were pinned to the sky. Then Dieter said “so, want to do some acrobatics”?

Stomach : nononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono
Brain : nononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono
Heart : nononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono
Bottom : nononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono
Mouth : Yeh!

!?!?!?!?!?!

Who the hell spoke then? Paniccccc, my mouth has been hijacked! So, first of all we did a “simple” move involving tipping the entire plane on its wing tips. Arghghghghggh. Unbelievable, wow, so awesome.

Little messages started arriving from my stomach then… urgent messages. And I started getting hot. And sweating. But anyway, I survived as we did dives and climbs and experienced lots of G’s.

So, woohoo I survived!

Then he said “want to do a roll?”

Stomach : mmmm sausage roll, or maybe an artic roll! oooo or a bacon roll!
Brain : nononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono
Heart : nononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono
Bottom : nononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono
Mouth : Yeh!

?!?!?!?!!?!?!?

Who the hell said yeh!?!?!!?!?!?!

So, oh god, panicccccc. He said I needn’t worry about holding on to anything as the G’s would keep me pressed into my seat, then told me to look at the horizon…. then ARGHGHGHGHGHGHGH HELPPPP PLEASE LET ME JUST FALL OUT OF PLANE OH GODDDDD. It was only a couple of seconds but oh my goddd.

It was awesome, I’m so glad I didn’t chicken out as it was a once in the lifetime experience. We then headed towards Arundel and tipped our wings (flipped onto our side) over Amberley Castle – wow! Such an incredible experience, then began our flight home….

Now, know when you’re in a car and you need a wee? And it’s manageable right, you think “I’ll make it”. Then all of a sudden you see a sign to your home town and even if it’s still 50 miles away your not-so-intelligent bladder seems to think “wow we’re home, let the wee out!” ? Urrr, well I hope you know what I mean. My point is anyway that as we began our journey back my stomach began a serious trying-to-get-out-of-my-mouth impression. Luckily Dieter suggested I open the hood – wow! Was bloody windy at 150mph but cooled me down so much and I survived all the wayyy to the ground.

Had a good chat with Dieter afterwards, he’s aiming to fly a Spitfire one day and I really hope his wish comes true, he was an excellent pilot and made the experience amazing for me. Thanks!

Took some photos of me in my sexyyyyyy outfit…

… then made my way home… once I got home I pretty much collapsed. It was like a massive adrenalin come down and I just fell onto the sofa and slept for about 2hours. Then my body sort of came round and I began to take in what I’d experienced. Unbelievable!