Blue AC Cobra race car at Goodwood 77 Members Meeting

Goodwood 77th Members Meeting

Having seen images and footage from previous Members Meetings, I knew I had to attend. To do so, you need to be a GRRC member. I joined as a Fellow primarily so I could attend this event over any of the other benefits and I think it was worth the joining fee.

This years event was scheduled a little later in the year than usual, as last year was beset with snow and sleet. While this made for great images, I’m not sure the drivers found it so enjoyable. For me, this was my first Members Meeting and it meant an early morning run down to the Chichester circuit on a bright and breezy spring day.

While the car park was a lot smaller than other Goodwood events, the quality of vehicles was still impressive. I was neatly positioned between a an immaculate Audi RS6 and filthy Caterham. Just in front of my 911 was a beautiful 356 Coupe which was showing signs of being driven hard. The level of rides in the car park didn’t disappoint and neither did what was inside the circuit.

Someone had previously described the Members Meeting as a ‘Revival Lite’ and I think that’s a pretty fair description. Focused on historic motorsport, a lot of the cars and bikes were familiar from my previous jaunts to Goodwood event. There was still a lot of tweed on display, civvy dress was the order of the day for me and many others. Unlike Revival access to the paddock and pits is pretty open. Which is great for us photographers. The smaller crowds help too, making it easier to get clear shots. However, something I need to work on is including people in my images to help tell the story.

It can sometimes feel like the cars are sat in the paddock staged for a photo shoot. This is far from the truth – it’s a working area and you need to keep your wits about you. Step back to frame a shot without looking and you could end up flattened by a car or someone with a trolly full of wheels and tyres.

This year was the first time Le Mans LMP1 cars had run at night at a Goodwood event. And what a treat it was. This experience has further stoked my desire to visit Le Mans to see and hear them in their natural habitat.

At the end of Saturday’s racing, the party continued with a festival of light. The bars and food stalls were packed as the whole throng of spectators and crews descended into the entertainment areas. I was hungry and cold, having selected not the best coat for the day, and with long queues at the various food vendors, I decided to make a move and head home.

The gentle drive back allowed me time to reflect on my first member’s meeting. Although I went on my own I’d thoroughly enjoyed myself. I’d bumped into friends, made some new ones and was excited by the levels of access to everything. Next years event will definitely be on my calendar.

Oh, I just like to mention that I’m not doing too well on my photography goal for this year ‘less, but better’ – I shot over 1100 images in one day. Editing these down has been a task and I’ve lost some motivation, which is why it’s taken so long to share, but hopefully, I’m over that and I can get back to shooting, writing and sharing more with you all.

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