Keith Walker's Visit To Goodwood 2024
20th September 2024
In: News, Members' Articles
Keith has sent these photos of this classic racing car and motor bkie event, he has captured the atmosphere of the 50's and 60's in his pictures.
Goodwood Revival 2024
It is difficult to believe that this year's event was the 25th since the Goodwood Circuit was re-opened through the efforts of The Earl of March (now Duke of Richmond) who of course owns Goodwood House and the Estate.
Goodwood was where I saw motor racing for the first time back in 1966, which was also the year the original Circuit closed to formal motor racing. The actual track however remained in place as a test facility.
I well remember arriving at the first Revival in 1998 on a beautiful Sussex Downs morning and getting out of the car to hear the sound of Merlin engines in Spitfire or Hurricane aircraft overhead - Goodwood, as RAF Westhampnett, had been a WWII fighter base - and from that moment I knew then it was going to be a rather special event.
For those not familiar with the Revival, it is a meeting for historic race cars and motorbikes that would have been eligible to race there in its original form from 1948 - 66.
It attracts not only the very best cars from all over the world but also the great and the good of past and contemporary motor sport. It is like no other race meeting, as it is more like a film set with everyone encouraged to wear period clothing and with not a ‘hi-viz’ in sight. In fact you are only allowed into some paddocks if you are ‘correctly dressed’, which for me means a jacket and tie!
Additionally the Revival has also had a large display of planes and I have known eleven Merlin engines in various aircraft to be in the air at the same time!
I have been to most meetings as we live only an hours drive away. Every year I take one Leica M body and one lens, and mostly a 50mm. I then concentrate on shots around the paddocks, and leave the actual racing shots to those with 400mm lenses.
This year provided an extra challenge as I had just acquired a M11 and am not yet fully familiar with it. However, I decided to take it set to 37mp paired with a 35mm Summilux as I reasoned I would have enough headroom to crop in post-production if I wanted to.
Unfortunately, this year the weather was rather dull, but some images are attached. I must say I very much like the colours from the M11, which to my elderly eyes seem very accurate.
Leica had a ‘pop up shop’ at the Revival in 2015 and Dr. Andraus Kaufmann (who is credited with saving Leica cameras as we know it from probable closure) was in attendance. It was good to see they again had a ‘shop’ this year, manned by staff from the Harrods and Mayfair stores. It was small but had a fine display of new and old
cameras, including a BP M2 for a mere £48K! Having just bought the M11 ‘on line’, it did remind me how much I miss the thrill of a real camera shop talking to a real person who is enthusiastic about the brand. Unless you live in London or Manchester it is difficult or, at
best, not easy to visit a store in person, but it is perhaps worth the effort.
Keith Walker 2024
Emmanuel Pirro © 2024 Keith Walker
Beautiful Cars and People © 2024 Keith Walker
Boys and Bikes from Bavaria © 2024 Keith Walker
Autograph Hunters ©2024 Keith Walker
When Bikers Meet © 2024 Keith Walker
Wining ERA © 2024 Keith Walker
Leica Store © 2024 Keith Walker
Following Cled's comment here is a Silver Arrow line up from 2015
Auto Union & Mercedes 'Silver Arrowa' © 2015 Keith Walker
Goodwood Revival 2024
It is difficult to believe that this year's event was the 25th since the Goodwood Circuit was re-opened through the efforts of The Earl of March (now Duke of Richmond) who of course owns Goodwood House and the Estate.
Goodwood was where I saw motor racing for the first time back in 1966, which was also the year the original Circuit closed to formal motor racing. The actual track however remained in place as a test facility.
I well remember arriving at the first Revival in 1998 on a beautiful Sussex Downs morning and getting out of the car to hear the sound of Merlin engines in Spitfire or Hurricane aircraft overhead - Goodwood, as RAF Westhampnett, had been a WWII fighter base - and from that moment I knew then it was going to be a rather special event.
For those not familiar with the Revival, it is a meeting for historic race cars and motorbikes that would have been eligible to race there in its original form from 1948 - 66.
It attracts not only the very best cars from all over the world but also the great and the good of past and contemporary motor sport. It is like no other race meeting, as it is more like a film set with everyone encouraged to wear period clothing and with not a ‘hi-viz’ in sight. In fact you are only allowed into some paddocks if you are ‘correctly dressed’, which for me means a jacket and tie!
Additionally the Revival has also had a large display of planes and I have known eleven Merlin engines in various aircraft to be in the air at the same time!
I have been to most meetings as we live only an hours drive away. Every year I take one Leica M body and one lens, and mostly a 50mm. I then concentrate on shots around the paddocks, and leave the actual racing shots to those with 400mm lenses.
This year provided an extra challenge as I had just acquired a M11 and am not yet fully familiar with it. However, I decided to take it set to 37mp paired with a 35mm Summilux as I reasoned I would have enough headroom to crop in post-production if I wanted to.
Unfortunately, this year the weather was rather dull, but some images are attached. I must say I very much like the colours from the M11, which to my elderly eyes seem very accurate.
Leica had a ‘pop up shop’ at the Revival in 2015 and Dr. Andraus Kaufmann (who is credited with saving Leica cameras as we know it from probable closure) was in attendance. It was good to see they again had a ‘shop’ this year, manned by staff from the Harrods and Mayfair stores. It was small but had a fine display of new and old
cameras, including a BP M2 for a mere £48K! Having just bought the M11 ‘on line’, it did remind me how much I miss the thrill of a real camera shop talking to a real person who is enthusiastic about the brand. Unless you live in London or Manchester it is difficult or, at
best, not easy to visit a store in person, but it is perhaps worth the effort.
Keith Walker 2024
Emmanuel Pirro © 2024 Keith Walker
Beautiful Cars and People © 2024 Keith Walker
Boys and Bikes from Bavaria © 2024 Keith Walker
Autograph Hunters ©2024 Keith Walker
When Bikers Meet © 2024 Keith Walker
Wining ERA © 2024 Keith Walker
Leica Store © 2024 Keith Walker
Following Cled's comment here is a Silver Arrow line up from 2015
Auto Union & Mercedes 'Silver Arrowa' © 2015 Keith Walker
Comments
By Ken Davis: You have certainly captured the feel of the weekend. I only went once and these photographs remind me of a terrific time. By Cled lewis: Thank you Keith for reviving some great memories, Goodwood Revival is well named.
Like Ken I have only been once because it is quite a trip from S Wales.
Some lovely photos capturing the atmosphere beautifully.
It is twenty years since my visit and the highlights that year were the 1938 period Mercedes and AutoUnion racing cars.
Cled Lewis By Keith Walker: That was indeed a special year! It was 2015 when the Silver Arrows lined up and I've posted a photo By Keith Walker: That was indeed a special year! It was 2015 when the Silver Arrows lined up and I've posted a photo By Alan Humphries: Thank you Keith for a taste, of the Goodwood Revival, I enjoyed your article and really love the photos -thank you