Glued to Goodwood SpeedWeek  Words and images by Peter Baker. Click to view Gallery.

You know there must be a problem when you turn up at Goodwood for a three-day historic motorsport meeting and find you are almost the only person there. Spooky springs to mind. As one of the privileged few I arrived at SpeedWeek early on Friday 16 October 2020 well-prepared: plenty of face-masks, hand sanitiser, a two-metre ruler, even the odd camera or two. But I needn’t have worried. The organisers already had the precautionary side of things well under control.

This event combined all the best aspects of the Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival, and streamed it live across the world. It was so successful, I know people who made up picnics, chilled their wine, and then stayed glued to the excellent coverage all three days. Even my own wife refused to answer my telephone calls because she was watching the racing.

Using the trusty MG ZTT as usual, I cunningly got myself close-by the night before, staying at the nondescript and rather scruffy Red Lion in Havant. Best described as unforgettable. Saying that, they did serve a hearty breakfast, and the hotel was just 20 minutes from the circuit. Every cloud has a silver lining.


Second night was much more up my street. Very handy, and oh so comfortable, the Old Chapel Forge, where I have stayed before, lies just 10 minutes from Chichester, just off the Pagham Road and within walking distance of the Royal Oak where the food, although basic, is well prepared and good value. Perhaps too many chips.

Saturday evening, and with darkness fast arriving, I watched the Stanley/Cottingham Jaguar win the Sir Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy race by a whisker from the similar car of Meins and Huff before heading home.





Next day, it was Silverstone for the HSCC Finals Meeting where Team Retro-Speed was represented in the Historic Road Sports Championship race by no less than three Morgans, led by Richard Plant. Richard tried hard but Kevin Kivlochan (AC Cobra) was a determined man. Distance at the flag? Only 2.4 seconds. Both Philip St Clair Tisdall and Mark Shears finished unscathed. Slick organisation meant we could all go home by four o’clock, another weekend of enjoyable motorsport sorted.