Goodwood - The Flyboys

I would be much obliged if you would care to join me for that most English of beverages: the good old cup of tea.
Or in this case an enamel tin mug of the invigorating brown stuff.

Welcome to Camp Dive!

Here, nestled in the chalk downs beside the English Channel sits the WWII airfield of Goodwood, home also - for over sixty years - of British motor racing.
We'll be here at the Revival Meeting for a few posts so settle in with your cuppa and let's soak up a little of the atmosphere.

Tea is only "proper char" if it is served by a pretty girl in a maid's uniform on a glorious late summer day in England.

Of course, some folk bring a little picnic of their own.

And of course some kids get their priorities right.

And talking of getting things right: "Women! Know Your Place!"
The correct position and posture for the fairer sex is ably demonstrated here.

Of course, THIS is what Goodwood is all about (thanks to Phil for this splendid photo … and indeed many of the others).
It's harvest time and we all get dressed up in period costume to celebrate the glorious history of motor racing and indeed the history of Goodwood itself, the racing circuit having started as the original perimeter road to the airfield back in '39.

One of the many things that make Goodwood special is the airfield itself.

Many Vets come here, though sadly fewer each year, from WWII and Korea: RAF pilots, Polish, USAAF, Canadian, Aussie, Kiwi, the whole gamut of flyboys, some of whom will have flown from this very place.

All around the south coast and on up to Norfolk and Lincolnshire the English countryside is peppered with WWII airbases.

Here is the magnificent Battle of Britain Memorial Flight soaring across the skies in tribute to the heroic pilots who gave their lives in the desperate last ditch struggle for survival in the autumn of 1940, the Battle of Britain, rightly called our finest hour.

In addition to the nine-thousand British pilots taking part, the RAF Roll of Honour recognises 139 Polish pilots, 98 New Zealanders, 86 Canadians, 84 Czechoslovakians, 29 Belgians, 21 Australians, 20 South Africans, 13 French, 10 Irish, and single figures from the United States of America, Jamaica, The British Mandate of Palestine, and Southern Rhodesia.

Much as the incomparably beautiful Spitfire is celebrated, the plane that took the brunt of the action was the Hawker Hurricane, seemingly held together with fabric and string.

All through the day there are displays in the air overhead. The Yanks came late to the party in both World Wars but were most welcome guests and each year sees Mustangs, Hawks, Typhoons and the occasional B17 joining in the fun.

Tomorrow we'll take a look at some more wonderfully attired people and get down to some serious motor racing.