Goodwood Revival 2018 September 7th - 9th

[Keith Clements]

After weeks of speculation we can now reveal the provisional dates of the 2018 Goodwood Revival and Festival of Speed
Festival of Speed: July 12th - 15th
Goodwood Revival: September 7th  - 9th

The 2018 season looks to be the best yet as we celebrate 20 years of the GRRC and the 25th Anniversary of the Festival of Speed.

So those coming to these shores can now start planning flights and journeys to fit in with the TOPIC SWISS Rally 27th Sept to 1st Oct..

We must now wait to find out when Spa Classic will be.

[Chris Spencer]

Lets just hope that the Goodwood management can stop being complacent and get the organisation of the event correct, putting the weather aside the fact remains that they have substantial knowledge & experience of promoting these events - whilst they get the racing format correct everything else surrounding the event becomes an issue and for the last two years the infrastructure & support behind the event has been a proper let down - if next years Revival is anything like the previous 2 years then it will be the last one that I volunteer for.

[Keith Clements]

Having provided taxi services for 12 years I have seen some changes, most are for the better and some are just different. My comment to management on this year's Goodwood Revival Transport Corps organisation follow.
I have not had a response.

Hi Celene . 
I have a few comments which will help make next year better.
1. On Thursday evening we tried 3 ways of exit from the briefing. ONLY THE HOTEL EXIT was open sending us into a long queue to get back to the campsite.
2. On Friday morning Gate 2a was late opening.
3. On Thursday the access road to the campsite was still being graded . This road needs extensive work. It damages our cars. 
4. The blue camping armbands were never checked.
5. On all days pedestrian movement along the roads from the roundabout was still being allowed.  This is very dangerous.
6. The hand signals and competence of the traffic managers were appalling. As in previous years they should use a rope across the road at the main entrance. They should also allow more traffic through in one go .
7. Too much unauthorised traffic was allowed to go to Gate 1 from the roundabout. 
8. Two members whom I took to the Lavant tent apologised to me when the traffic manager was very officious when I dropped them at the entrance. 
9. At one stage I was unable to drop passengers off in 2a . There was a lack of management there . In general we should be able to self manage but for some reason too many cars were in the enclosure.

Some things were better this year but I was a lot more stressed coping with inconsiderate and stupid pedestrians and some very poor driving of some moderns. 
On one occasion when turning out of the Kennels a modern was overtaking the queue on the wrong side of the road to go into the Kennels car park. On another ; a golf cart came straight across me without looking at hole 1.

Once again this year I had little time to go around everything and see much racing. This was partly due to the weather, partly due to fixing Peter' car and partly due to lack of enthusiasm. My Friday afternoon was mainly spent in the GRTC tent sheltering from the rain and watching the skid pan on the tele. Saturday I did get to see a couple of races but failed to link up with my friends. Sunday afternoon I just packed up my tent before it started to rain and then watched a race and left early to avoid the rush but spent 3.5 hours avoiding clogged motorways.

It was good to get together at the BBQ on Thursday evening which was only slightly dampened by the weather. It was good to see so many Jowetts dashing around with passengers. It was great the welcome we had at the Kennels from the staff.
Next year we will have a few Jowett friends from overseas at the event so I intend to fully enjoy when off shift.

[Chris Spencer]

Here is my feedback in full - acknowledged by e mail and thanking me for the effort taken to submit them:

GOODWOOD REVIVAL – GRTC FEEDBACK & COMMENTS

TAXI RANK – Very, very busy this year – in fact I cannot recall a busier year – However the usual problems with turning circle / taxi alighting / loading areas – it really needs someone to take charge & responsibility for keeping the taxi’s moving – getting the cars right around the rank and to the top corner by the public entrance hence leaving space for the arriving cars behind to pull into the area – otherwise the entry / exit becomes gridlocked – a better but more radical solution is to move the office 25 metres and relocate it by the public entrance – behind the hedgerow / forward of the tree – this would increase the turning circle to the point that you could have two rows of cars and resolve the grid lock problem completely – Goodwood staff on the rank were very, very helpful but I wish Pete Jennings would look a little more cheerful at times.

HOTEL COLLECTION / DROP OFF – Very helpful staff – no real issues with exception of the Audi chauffer fleet who insist on making entry / exit very difficult with period cars that do not benefit from power steering – it would be helpful if the Audi fleet could park / adopt one area and stick to it.

THE KENNELS COLLECTION / DROP OFF – Excellence beyond reproach – highly organised team members & management ensured that this area operated like clockwork – if only every aspect of the event operated with the same ethos has The Kennels team do.

LAVANT MEMBERS ENCLOSURE – On the Saturday I took two GRRC members to the Lavant members enclosure – both being very well dressed and with the lady in heals I pulled into the entry gate to allow them to alight onto firm ground rather than the access track – to which I was confronted by a SEP official (black shirt embossed with SEP logo) and was given a firm lecture in an angry tone directly in front of the said members about not having the correct pass to enter etc – I tried to explain that I was merely dropping members off at that location but really could not get a word in edgeways – to be honest I was embarrassed for the two members and I apologised for the SEP officials outburst has they headed for the members marquee – I then received another raft of an lecture from the said official has I got back into my vehicle having got out to open the doors for the members – Personally I think the said official had either missed his anger management appointment or forgotten to take his tablets – possibly both – I do not give my time up freely to attend this event in a voluntary capacity to tolerate these type of situations it has left me with a feeling of why am I bothering to volunteer in the first place.

R & M / REFUELING - No problems with refuelling and very pleasant / helpful staff – vehicle washing facilities are appreciated but could be slightly improved – there are two taps but only one hose – if you could add a hose to the second tap for the event it would speed the process up somewhat – especially after a wet weather day when the cars are covered in mud and we are all trying get them presentable for service duties first thing the following morning.

CAMPSITE E – Extremely disappointing – so forgetting the mud bath and the fact that you cannot do anything about the weather – whilst appreciating the facilities are temporary the shower facilities were of a very poor quality, a good number being inoperative / cold water only from the word go and with all of them in poor state of repair & cleanliness – personally I would not have put my dog in them. My wife reports that the vanity units were equally filthy from the Thursday afternoon onwards. Lack of any visible site speed limit or any policing of such resulted in a high number of vehicles / drivers thinking that were competing in a rally stage. Complete and total disrespect of the fact that people upon a campsite do require to sleep at some stage has the 4x4 event service vehicles (Gaitors) ran throughout the night at the rate of two to three per hour – every hour – every night without fail along the length of site – all 20 individuals within our camp area were all woken / kept awake by this activity. Finally add to the above the that a loud reoccurring bleeping alarm every 30 seconds was emitted from a substation device in the far corner of site – net result – very little undisturbed sleep for a large area of the campsite throughout the duration of the event. With the campsite turning to utter chaos on Sunday evening – no help in exiting the campsite – no traffic management and everyone just abandoned to fight for themselves – next to little thought or consideration for the users of this facility by the campsite management & staff.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT – Complete and utter shambles - quite obviously unbriefed staff with a complete contempt for what required achieving:

Gate 2 Pedestrian crossing – Stop boards retained and displayed to the verge hence only in peripheral vision of drivers when it really requires an operative to walk into the road with the stop board and present it clearly – compound this with a complete lack of understanding that it takes a classic vehicle twice the stopping distance of a modern vehicle – after being requested to stop at 20 MPH at a distance of less than 10 metres I kindly advised the operative / official that the older vehicles require a longer stopping / braking distance, in return I was treated with utter contempt and spoken to like an idiot.

South Lodge exit / car park A exits – Holding periods are far too long for the South Lodge exit whilst car park traffic is exiting – over 35 minutes at one point on Saturday (in excess of an hour to do the rank / hotel / rank return round trip) – no understanding by operatives that whilst attempting to release has many vehicles has possible from the car park A that they consistently grid lock the estate roads & roundabout. If a little & often process for the car park A exit was adopted it would simply resolve the situation.

Gate 2A Taxi rank entry / exit – Well managed with helpful staff

Pedestrian crossing adjacent to bridge crossing – circuit / over the road – Well managed / no problems

Kennel Hill closure – Friday pm – complete unmitigated disaster with no understanding of what was required or how to implement it.

SUMMARY – Whilst all appeared well within the circuit walls it was outside of the circuit that things fell apart, a combination of unbriefed personnel / contractors lacking a common-sense approach – add the arrogance displayed by few members of these teams and it completely spoilt what has always been a fabulous event to volunteer for. Given that Goodwood holds 3 major motoring events per year – year in – year out – this should be a well-oiled machine, given that Revival is now in it’s 20th year. After volunteering for a number of years given this year’s experience it has myself questioning has to if I shall volunteer for future Revivals.

[AlanBartlett]

To throw in my hat as they say. I felt this years event seemed to lack the enthusiasm and grandeur of its usual show. Lots of issues remained unchanged from years past. Which is a really disappointing. Especially with the traffic I thought in previous years the lavant road was closed to public but so many more cars seemed to get the roundabout in stop start mayhem. And the people walking too and from the car parks along the road. The entrance to the Taxi rank, you drive down from the remarkable venue of The Kennels or the Hotel to come and experience this event. And you arrive through a metal grid and a hole in the hedge. It baffles me with all the money floating around this weekend, they could make something a little more grand. And drivers clogging up the rank (Thankfully none of the Jowetts, we know who that was!)

Glad to see someone got a reply from feedback sent. I also sent my views of this years event together with last years which I actually resent remarking on how much it hadn't changed even with the feedback not just from myself.) To which no response was given. It doesn't really fill me with the get up and go to make the drive up again.

[Tony Fearn]

Reading the articles in the Jowetteer magazine, and the many positive posts on Jowetttalk about how we all actually do enhance and promote the Jowett Car Club, I wonder if it's thought that taxiing at Goodwood actually raises the Club image. Perhaps we're just being used. What would happen if no Jowetts turned up next year? Would any of the organisers think 'am I bovvered'?

Feel free to comment.

The Devil's Advocate.

[Keith Clements]

I have enjoyed doing the taxiing at the Revival for 12 years. What you see are some comments fed back to the organisers which we have done for many years. Just this time you are reading them. All the people that have ever done the taxiing want to do it again. Many of the other non Jowett drivers have been doing it for as long as I have. This year may have been hampered by the Transport organiser going on maternity leave a month before the event. Many of the niggles are not that much different to previous years, but perhaps were accentuated by the poor weather. That said Goodwood do need to address and resolve them.

The organisers do value our volunteering greatly and would miss us. We are invited. They always take great care to thank us for our contribution to the spectacle. We are richly rewarded in kind with membership of an exclusive club and our friends have benefitted from the guest tickets we receive which are of considerable value and difficult to get as the event sells out early on.

Our participation has brought the name of Jowett to thousands of people, many of them very well connected in motorsport. No other event comes close, except perhaps our success at the Restoration Show.

We should also understand that the number of journeys undertaken by the taxis has greatly increased since the Jowetts started. We are getting a reputation that brings return trips from year to year and spreads amongst the Goodwood members so that more know about the service. Our service is also now advertised by the members' restaurant management more than it was 5 years ago. So we now gainfully employ our dozen taxis most of the time. Add to that the considerable number of visitors these days that has stretched the infrastructure. Our main issue this year was with the company that did the traffic management and the overall traffic/pedestrian organisation. On occasions in the past it has been this bad, so for a few years they fixed some issues but perhaps a combination of factors brought the issues back. One thought is that the pedestrian footways that bypass the roads ( Lavant and Kennels Hill off the roundabout), may have been too muddy for our dressed up visitors thus they walked down the road. Undoubtedly the fact these roads were also awash did not help the mixture of cars and pedestrians. I have experienced all these issues before, just the frequency and combination was too much this year. My enthusiasm too was lessened by so many days of poor weather. I missed going over the road to the evening entertainment because of it, missed a couple of afternoons of racing because of it and missed the end of event celebration because of it.

BUT where else can so many people get intimately involved with Jowetts, where the Jowett owners get to talk and display their cars, where club members have a great get together and can enjoy the spectacle of the Revival from privileged seats.

I am once again waiting for next year.

[p.p.]

I also enjoyed the Revival!! The rain was the show killer.....
but i will be there next year, but not doing two turns.... just mornings or afternoon, so i will see a bit of Revival....and "Rhowina" will behave her self better and no more fanny noises from the front....
To be more realxed i will again take the Bed in the Stables....
And i hope we Jowett family will on Sunday evening have a Dinner together....

SEE YOU AGAIN AT GOODWOOD REVIVAL !!!
SEE YOU AT THE KENNEL'S !!!!

[Chris Spencer]

Firstly in response to Keith's most recent comments - the fact that the usual GRTC organiser was on leave and with someone else within the Goodwood team taking over the role is irrelevant we were not hampered in the slightest by the organisation of the GRTC teams, rota's, briefings, we all received our tickets etc - etc - so no issues there and in the main the problems revolve around other Goodwood teams / areas and not the GRTC management. The weather is the weather you can't control it and it is what it is - yes it may slow things down but it's just a matter of working around it - personally the pedestrians walking in the road were not really that much of an issue - a problem yes but not that big an issue. I don't think that it's down to being busy either we prefer it that way rather than just doing one run an hour. Has stated the traffic management contractor was a very serious issue, has was the campsite, has was the attitude of a few over officious officials who fail to realise that we volunteer both our time and our cars - whilst on paper we may well be rewarded in some ways however, some of us that attend with our cars still have day jobs - we take several days leave to attend the event with some members also traveling a significant distance - to put up with some of the more serious issues just because it's good for the club and comes with some freebies from Goodwood especially when feedback from previous years is not acted upon to the point that any feedback submitted from this years event has largely gone unacknowledged so just how valued do you feel now for all your effort at the event ??

Lets not hide behind excuses and paper over cracks - it is what is - they either improve in 2018 or they will loose volunteers

P.S. Change is very welcome but lets not confuse change with incompetence

[AlanBartlett]

The weather wasn't really an issue as such it, you can't plan it after all. Infact I felt rather sad for all the people all dressed up, being a bit soggy before they had event got to the circuit. I must say it was drier to be driving about which I did enjoy when the rain came. I just felt this year it lacked its sparkle. In reply to Tony's and Chris's comments it does make you wonder how much they take on board when it comes to feedback. If we have all said mostly the same sorts of thing, To come back for another year and see things that haven't changed, is really off putting. We all do a remarkable job of keeping the guests happy, moving and getting them to their desired locations. Even though we do get a fair amount from the passes and tickets etc. It just seems for things to run even smoother, they don't really seem to listen to us people on the ground.

It maybe great fun to have a ride in a vintage car whether it be a Jowett or not, I don't think it is quite the type of venue for attracting new members. Though I think we do a great job promoting of not just the Taxi's even under the current niggles, with racing or other displays.

[Tony Fearn]

Just for the record:-

Devil's advocate ......One who argues against a cause or position, not as a committed opponent but simply for the sake of argument or to determine the validity of the cause or position.

Interesting and varying replies from four of the volunteer Taxi-Service Jowetteers. What do the other nine think?

Tony.

[nigel jarrett]

I put in our feedback for which I was promptly thanked and told that they were going to collate with others into a debrief .
In short traffic management not ready or in place on Friday morning.The dangerous situation we met with on Friday when the Kennels road was sign up as closed at the top and both lanes could be used ,we were faced with vehicles coming down.Also the unacceptable length of time we were held whilst the car parks were emptied to the extent that all roads became gridlocked.Plus highly praised the Kennels staff and the maintenance yard staff.
The weather did reduce the enjoyment slightly but it was still worthwhile attending

[Keith Clements]

GRTC management does more than provide 'the tickets etc etc'. They are supposed to work with the other organising teams making sure all aspects of the show work like clockwork.
I do blame them in part for:-
1. The gates being locked around the house on Thursday evening after our briefing. They should have predicted and resolved the issue with traffic management. Particularly as Celene, who was leading the GRTC team, used to run traffic management.
2. The gates being locked at 2a (the entrance to the taxi Rank) should also have been on the list of jobs and have been checked early on Friday morning.
3. Pedestrian management around gates 2 (main entrance), bridge and 15 (modern taxi rank) should have had some input from GRTC and the training of the traffic managers checked by them so that the needs of the taxis were promoted.
4. The situation around the member's enclosure on Lavant should have been avoided, once again by proper briefing with input from GRTC. I should have raised the issue on the day with GRTC so that they resolved. Did anyone else? Similar instances in the past at various gates have been resolved quickly and forwarded to the next year as can be seen by the number of gates now on our car pass.
5. The congestion on Saturday at the taxi rank was definitely in the taxi manager's remit.
6. The state of the access road to the campsite should have been forcibly argued by GRTC. We have had special treatment in a previous year that certainly helped our sleep, but not the car's wellbeing. Clearly this year they had a plan to control campsite access and to flatten the road as they were working on it when I arrived on Thursday but their plans totally failed.

Most of these issues normally get resolved in the couple of weeks before the Revival (it always seems to be a bit of a panic and flying by the seat of the pants) as all the teams are finalising their plans. Goodwood may have had issues this year that I am unaware of. Normally I have my ear to the ground but stepped back this year. But I do think that Celene moving from Traffic management to GRTC was a contributory factor.

It is good to learn some have commented and received acknowledgement. I look forward to the summary.

Over the years many things have improved such as having an accessible taxi rank rather than being inside Gate 1 by the shop, a more organised briefing although we no longer get to go in the Drivers' club, the shift system so we have time off, not having to work Saturday night (although we miss seeing the ball) , the rapport with the Kennels, and, of course, recognition of Jowetts.

It is still the best Classic car event!

[Chris Spencer]

Keith - It maybe the best classic event for you - but for some others right now it just isn't - given this year and not too good an event last year come to that in my book it's barely worth the effort - not that I or any other member come to that do it for the reward alone has in several cases it costs us personally / financially far more than what we get directly out of the event - yes it's getting our cars out there into the public arena and no doubt doing the club some good in promoting everything 'Jowett' - and what I write is not just based on my experience either several others that attended has a GRRC member / public visitor also took the opinion that this year was exceptionally poor in a vast number of areas - that includes my neighbour who expended well in excess of £1k for a 3 day March enclosure pass and did not bother after the Friday has it was such a shambles / bun fight (her words not mine) along with several others who also spoke in negative voice about the event - in fact I have yet to hear anyone comment in a positive tone about this years event - fact remains that the events management have become complacent and they need to wake up a smell the coffee before it goes too far

[Keith Clements]

I too had that feeling- as I said my enthusiasm waned and I left early. I also thought about the poor people I saw watching the event all dressed up with children all dressed up standing in the wind and rain resolutely trying to get their money's worth. I am sure that many other staff members also lacked such enthusiasm as many would have been out in those conditions all day. At least we were in the dry most of the time. Without this enthusiasm they would give a negative impression to the visitors.
However, the classic car racing (which really is what it should be ALL about) was still great and even enhanced by the conditions. Watching such car control from some of the best drivers in the world is what I would pay money to go to see. If you went for ANY other reason then I fully understand how disappointed you would be.

I would recommend your neighbour express their comments to Goodwood whom I am fairly sure will respond. I wonder if Goodwood have now outsourced most organisation to an events management company and that is why things are not what they used to be like. It used to be the Goodwood Road Racing Club that ran it.

I have tried to see what others thought about this year in social media as there must be many like your neighbour.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/feature ... ial-media/
https://www.flatoutmag.co.uk/features/t ... d-revival/
http://www.digitalslrphotos.co.uk/2017/ ... ival-2017/
http://www.digitalslrphotos.co.uk/2017/ ... 17-part-2/
http://britishairshows.com/goodwood-revival.html
https://www.borro.com/borro-blog/luxury ... val-review