In short
Extraordinary Life Stories: Episode Summary
Podcast Information
- Title: Extraordinary Life Stories
- Host: John Reynolds
- Description: Conversations with extraordinary individuals sharing their life stories, focusing on mental health, motivation, and balance in life.
Episode Information
- Episode Title: The Story of Goodwood: The Duke Who Turned Heritage into a Global Motorsport Phenomenon
- Guest: Charles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond
- Description: The Duke shares his journey of transforming Goodwood House and its historic motorsport events, focusing on the heritage, passion for cars, and community involvement.
Key Themes and Concepts
Heritage and Legacy
- Family Background:
- The Duke reflects on his grandfather's influence, who was passionate about motorsport and played a significant role in establishing Goodwood as a racing venue post-WWII.
- Goodwood House has a rich history, linked closely to motorsport and the arts.
The Birth of the Goodwood Festival of Speed
- Inception:
- The first Festival of Speed was an experiment in 1993, starting with minimal resources but a strong vision.
- Initially faced challenges such as noise abatement orders and planning issues, but the Duke's relentless spirit led to overcoming these obstacles.
Growth and Evolution
- Festival Expansion:
- From its humble beginnings with fewer than 100 cars, the Festival has grown into one of the largest motorsport events globally, driven by passion and community engagement.
- The Duke emphasizes the emotional connection of spectators to the cars and drivers at the event.
Community and Innovation
- Goodwood Revival and Goodwoof:
- In addition to the Festival of Speed, the Duke has expanded Goodwood into other events like the Goodwood Revival, celebrating historical motorsport, and Goodwoof, a dog-centric festival.
- The Duke’s approach blends tradition with innovation, creating experiences that resonate with modern audiences while respecting heritage.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
- Business Challenges:
- The Duke discusses the pressures of maintaining the estate's financial viability amidst historical significance and operational costs, employing strategies to diversify income through various events and attractions.
- His entrepreneurial drive reflects a commitment to preserving the heritage of Goodwood while adapting to contemporary demands.
Personal Reflections and Vision
- Passion and Success:
- The Duke shares his definition of success, which correlates with setting goals, achieving them, and continuously striving for improvement.
- He expresses gratitude for the community's support and the emotional impact of creating memorable experiences for families and motorsport enthusiasts alike.
Future Aspirations
- Looking Ahead:
- The Duke hints at plans to expand Goodwood's reach globally while maintaining its core values.
- He is excited about upcoming events, including innovations in sustainability and new engaging experiences centered around motorsport and community.
Conclusion In this episode, Charles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond, provides a candid look at the challenges and triumphs of transforming Goodwood into a celebrated motorsport destination. His story is one of resilience, community spirit, and a deep passion for preserving and innovating heritage for future generations. The conversation encapsulates the essence of combining tradition with modernity, creating lasting legacies in the world of motorsport.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOThe Vision Behind Goodwood
1:00 to 2:24
Discussion about the origins and significance of the Goodwood racing venue.
“I gave Ferrari here the first time, having the Grand Prix team here.”
Who is the Duke of Richmond?
2:24 to 3:38
Exploration of the Duke's lineage, background, and titles.
Grandfather's Influence on Motorsports
3:38 to 5:01
The Duke reflects on his grandfather's impact on his passion for motorsport.
The Rise and Fall of Goodwood
5:01 to 6:26
A story of the establishment and eventual shutdown of the Goodwood racetrack.
Lessons from the Past
6:26 to 7:43
The Duke shares insights on how historical values shaped Goodwood's legacy.
“So many houses, you know, thousands of them were knocked down.”
Childhood Memories at Goodwood
7:43 to 8:14
The Duke reminisces about his childhood experiences at Goodwood and its cars.
The Festival of Speed Experience
8:14 to 9:46
A fan's perspective on the Festival of Speed and its unique atmosphere.
“And literally Ken signed him kind of almost there and then.”
Challenges of Reviving Goodwood
11:12 to 13:14
The Duke discusses the difficulties faced in reopening Goodwood racetrack.
“So there's a lot of kind of illegal F1 testing and all sorts of things going on.”
Planning for the Future of Goodwood
13:14 to 14:06
A look at future plans for the Goodwood track and its significance.
“It wasn't, if ever, but it was going to be a challenge.”
The Evolution of Goodwood's Motorsport Circuit
14:06 to 16:56
Learn about the challenges and innovations that shaped the Goodwood circuit's first years.
“I mean, Derek said, I think it's a rally stage, actually.”
Show all 27 chapters
Memorable Moments from the First Goodwood Festival
16:56 to 21:44
Discover the unforgettable experiences and challenges faced during the inaugural festival.
“such a you know decades now of hugely entertaining incredible events and allowed to see how far it's come because i'd love to get the numbers for me it's huge now as an event isn't it globally yeah No, no, it's great.”
Growing the Goodwood Festival: Vision and Scale
21:44 to 24:33
Explore how the Goodwood Festival transformed into a global phenomenon and its operational demands.
“I remember going to Earl's Court Motor Show with my father and seeing, I remember memorably the F40 being launched in 88 or 89 and just seeing the car for the first time.”
Planning and Preparation for Goodwood Events
25:03 to 28:00
Understand the extensive planning that goes into organizing the Goodwood Festival.
“It wasn't like Worcester, a little event.”
The Scale and Investment of Motorsport Events
28:00 to 29:14
Explore the scale of building and investment required for major motorsport events.
“But in terms of actual and also cost of build, because that number I mentioned now, that's just what it costs us to put it on.”
Entrepreneurship and Estate Management
29:14 to 31:08
Learn about the entrepreneurial strategies behind managing a historic estate.
Innovating Heritage for Modern Relevance
31:08 to 32:56
Understand how to innovate while preserving historical legacy and relevance.
“And the festivities are worried in that sense.”
The Legacy of Sporting Traditions
32:56 to 34:49
Delve into the rich history and traditions of sports at Goodwood.
“We got this great palette, you know, of our little mantras, horse racing, motor racing, golf, flying, shooting and cricket, you know, all together in one small place in a way.”
Passion and Community in Motorsport
34:49 to 36:10
Discover how passion drives community engagement in motorsport.
The Journey of Acquiring Iconic Cars
36:10 to 38:38
Hear about the thrill and challenges of sourcing and showcasing iconic cars.
Memorable Cars and Missed Opportunities
38:38 to 42:00
Reflect on memorable cars and the significance of missed opportunities in collecting.
The Historic Goonwood Car and Its Significance
42:00 to 44:10
Explore the history of the Goonwood car and its impact on racing.
“is the is sterling's 250 short short wheelbase which i actually did have the opportunity to That was a missed opportunity.”
Defining Success in Motorsport and Heritage
45:10 to 47:25
Understand the speaker’s philosophy on success and its impact on Goodwood.
“So I don't feel, I mean, I think it's been a good thing.”
The Revival Event's Unique Charm
47:25 to 49:35
Discover the origins and evolution of the Revival event at Goodwood.
“You know, you've created a community element that, again, I can't thank you enough for and countless others.”
Fashion and Community at Revival
49:35 to 52:39
Learn about the emphasis on fashion and community engagement at Revival.
Exploring Innovative Ideas
56:00 to 56:21
Discover the innovative projects and entrepreneurial spirit behind Goodwood.
“There's a lot here that is sort of innovative, brilliant ideas that keep kind of developing into where we are today.”
Goodwood's Unique Dog Event
57:19 to 59:32
Learn about Goodwood's unique dog event and the creative activities involved.
“Well, there are quite a few developments around, I guess, FESB and Revival, the car thing and membership and things.”
Festival of Speed Insights
59:32 to 1:01:25
Gain insights into the challenges and joys of organizing the Festival of Speed.
“And, but, you know, in a way that, you know, that makes the whole experience very, very intense.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Charles Gordon‑Lennox:I'm R.J. Decker, a private investigator uncovering the Sunshine State's darkest secrets. Tuesdays, it's the premiere of ABC's hottest new crime show.
0:10John Reynolds:R.J. freaking Decker as I live and breathe. He's a private eye. It's not a standard murder. It's someone bigger.
0:16Charles Gordon‑Lennox:And a public mess. Trying to get someone back to prison today? You go to prison one time and suddenly it's all the jokes. R.J. Decker, series premiere, Tuesdays on ABC and stream on Hulu.
0:31John Reynolds:The world moves fast. Your workday? Even faster. Pitching products, drafting reports, analyzing data. Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI assistant for work. Built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 apps you use. Helping you quickly write, analyze, create, and summarize. So you can cut through clutter and clear a path to your best work. Learn more at Microsoft.com slash M365 Copilot.
1:00Charles Gordon‑Lennox:I gave Ferrari here the first time, having the Grand Prix team here. And then we sat in the office and he said, we're going to Goodwood. And I go, where is this Goodwood? What are we doing?
1:10John Reynolds:We're trying to win races. Who is the Duke of Richmond? There's a few titles to unravel and just ultimately, who are you?
1:17Charles Gordon‑Lennox:Quite weird is I used to dream about a lot of these cars as a child. So I'd come here for the motor racing. I'd then be at school and I'd, you know, trying to go to sleep dreaming about being here and dreaming about these cars.
1:26John Reynolds:What's weird is they've all been here. You had the vision, you needed people to then support you.
1:32Charles Gordon‑Lennox:When we opened in 93, there was a string line between you and the track, and it was literally just a big... And everyone was going, oh my God, there's these lines. I was parking the cars. But Paul, where are you? You're not here. You've got the driver's sign-on tent. And the drivers are waiting to sign up. We haven't got a tent. He went to his wife's wardrobe and took out all our old handbags and drove around the car parks, dishing the handbags out to the car park attendants so they could fill them up with money. On the Festival Speed Droid, it was not another Festival of Speed.
2:04John Reynolds:The thing is, the drivers, it's the cars, showing their kids and their grandkids' cars that they talked about. That's what Goodwood is for me.
2:24John Reynolds:the duke of richmond i've been so looking forward to this thank you for inviting me into your home as well pleasure it's great great to have you all here my first question to anyone i film with is who is the duke of richmond but there's a few titles to unravel and just ultimately who are you
2:39Charles Gordon‑Lennox:well it's a it's an interesting question uh i mean i'm the 11th duke of richmond actually uh bizarrely and um obviously and i was charles march lord march before that so the title moves as the as the eldest son dies if you like the eldest member of the family dies the title moves up so i started life as lord setterington then came lord march and then or the earl of march technically and then uh the duke of richmond so my son is lord march now so i'm best known as lord
3:06John Reynolds:march i guess but here i am as as charles richmond now no thank you for explaining that because i've heard you introduced countless times having come to a number of events as lord march and to have explained how those titles work is really helpful i'd love to kind of almost unravel the early part of your journey you had a grandfather who i believe was almost sort of hiding as a mechanic following his passion and a colleague of his said you know there's a lord that works here isn't there is there that seems to have followed with you there's a humbleness and a humility having been born into privilege and the beautiful you know estate that you've got but there's no kind of ego
3:43Charles Gordon‑Lennox:with it well my grandfather was um yeah he was he was he was very interesting so he was mad about motorbikes and flying and stuff when he was at at Oxford he left Oxford early in the end actually to go work for for Bentley for WO and that's where he he actually worked on the shop floor at WO much to his parents horror and um and that's where that that story allegedly happened love that story uh and uh and he went on to work for w ed in sales and then uh and then set up his own keville davis and march in in barclay square selling so it's very special cars special bodied lances and things like that which he designed he was a very good car designer i've got a lovely ac which 1934 ac that he designed so he was good he was a he was a very good artist actually good draftsman good engineer he loved clever small cars and he was very humble he was absolutely he hated any sort of you know pomposity he didn't love the establishment much either so um and i spent i spent a bit quite a bit of time with him as a child i guess but he was the guy who started motor racing goodwood he flew a lot in the 30s he allowed the airfield to be built by the raf at the beginning of the war and then that was the it was that perimeter track they built around the airfield that got turned into a racetrack and he was a very successful driver he didn't race very much but his track his actual sort of statistical record was uh pretty pretty good at brooklyn's and he loved little clever cars you know he was racing you know mg's against four and a half liter bentley's and um doing doing really well he had the first set he had the first um uh mg racing team uh that existed and uh yeah i did he won the double 12 which was a huge race at brooklyn and the barc 500 mile race so and we still have all those trophies and everything but um i guess his parents hated it so that had to stop and then after the war uh an australian tony gaze who was a became a big driver himself an australian spitfire pilot based here uh came up to see my grandfather said you know you were able to look at this perimeter track and make a great circuit because all the young pilots were thrashing around it you know in the in the evenings and things uh and so him and john cooper went down they had a look at it they had a 500 cc cooper they drove around they went the wrong way the other other way first apparently and then you know literally within within months they had the first say september 1948 they then had the first race meeting there and i suppose you saying you know the rest was kind of history but so he but he opened it and uh and we used to come down every year as children we didn't live here uh then and um and then in 48 in sorry he opened in 48 then in 66 he shut it down and that and shutting that down was because the cars were just
6:31John Reynolds:ultimately getting too fast and it was getting dangerous wasn't it well there's lots of speculation
6:35Charles Gordon‑Lennox:i mean no one's ever i never asked him the question annoyingly um though you think it was crazy what we've done now to have started it again you'd think we'd gone absolutely you know he uh he didn't he wasn't into he wasn't interested in nostalgia or anything really he couldn't understand why they wanted to get brooklyn's going again uh after the war you know and all that all those sort of things i think after the war you know there was a there was a real feeling that the world had moved on so they didn't really live here the house was shut down there was a hospital it was a hospital during the war they lived here in a couple of rooms literally and um uh and i I think their feeling was it would never, that was the end of the whole, that was, this type of world gone.
7:16Charles Gordon‑Lennox:And so many houses were knocked down. So many houses, you know, thousands of them were knocked down. And they kept the house, they kept it open for just the horse racing and the motor racing, really. They didn't live here much at all afterwards. And it was all in a pretty, I guess, sad condition, really. Yes. but um i just think in terms of um people's values and things that just the whole world you know they're just that world they just felt it disappeared so um they would open the house for the for the you know the big easter monday motor racing meeting which we used to come down to i loved it as a small child my grandmother was wonderful we had a fantastic time here and um she really worked at that relationship with my grandfather so my grandfather sent me all the car books at school and the veteran vintage magazines and things um but a lot of that was her sort of behind the scenes sort of kindling i think that relationship and so of course i fell in love with the whole the whole car world i mean the automobile book by ralph stern played a big part in my upbringing because i was given he gave me that and it was like this was like big color pictures of these fantastic looking cars um and i met all the drivers you know i mean this room we'd meet drivers and you know i'd sit with joe bonier or you know they'd all be here and um i remember i remember you know jack remember jackie stewart for the first time i must have been about 10 you know and then my grandfather so maybe a bit a bit less actually he was here with jim clark who was his great friend and my grandmother was saying watch out for watch out for that stewart man he's going to be world champion probably one day because you know jackie He was discovered here at Goodwood originally by the, it was the circuit manager who ran Ken Till and said, you need to come and have a look at this guy going around.
9:05Charles Gordon‑Lennox:He's pretty quick. And literally Ken signed him kind of almost there and then.
9:09John Reynolds:Yeah, you can feel it when you come in. You know, your front door to the house is just outside of the music room we're in now. And I've been out there as a fan for the Festival of the Speed since 97. I came here not knowing what to expect. Someone said it was a hill climb. And I thought I'd been to hill climbs before and there's no racing. And there's a lot of waiting around and, you know, what's this all about? And as we're a little bit late, I say late, it's probably still only 8.39 in the morning because it starts so early. You pack it all in. And all you could hear was what was pretty clear was a modern F1 car screaming.
9:46John Reynolds:And it was Eddie Irvine in a Ferrari. and I was hooked to then understand and learn from all the different stories like you just said the history entwined is that what is the kind of almost the secret sauce you couldn't replicate this anywhere else in the world as far as I can see and just going back to the fact that that entwines your relationship and Goodwood's relationship with drivers that want to come
10:11Charles Gordon‑Lennox:and be part of it when you want your spring break to feel like and your kid's pool day to feel like
10:21John Reynolds:and your hotel bed to feel like and room service to feel like because at Hilton, hospitality feels like Your cabana's ready. Would you like fresh towels? It matters where you stay. Book now at Hilton.com. Hilton for this day. This episode is brought to you by Nespresso. Introducing Virtuo Up, the latest in a long line of innovation from Nespresso. It's innovation you can touch, sense, and taste in every single cup. With a three-second start, easy open lever, and dedicated brew over ice button, it's even easier to enjoy your coffee your way. Sip for yourself. Shop Virtuo Up exclusively at Nespresso.com.
11:12Charles Gordon‑Lennox:yeah we're very lucky to have the history obviously it was a challenge getting it so in the early 90s we had the idea the three of the you know the the the the beginning of the thought of could we get the track opened again i came back to live here uh votes of 90 91 92 and um we needed to drive more revenue there was obviously you know that just the horse racing really was going then and um i thought well i'd always you know i was i mean i was always mad about cars and races i was kind of cool could we what about getting the track going start to have those conversations with uh the local government and and there was a very sort of you know this is planning noise noise noise really the problem i mean it's a bit detailed but the the the problem was that after it shut down in 66 they used it for for a long time for for testing but in a very So it was managed, but not very carefully.
12:07Charles Gordon‑Lennox:So there's a lot of kind of illegal F1 testing and all sorts of things going on. And the cars would sort of turn up and run almost. So a noise was an issue. And I guess that wasn't really properly monitored or looked after. So we had a noise abatement order slapped on the track, which caused a lot of problems. So they couldn't really operate properly then. and you can't, that's a legal process that's very hard to get out of once you've got that applied. It's very difficult. So we had to somehow get that removed in order to be able to operate at all. And that was the problem. In order to remove it, we meant we were going to need to do things with the circuit to reduce the noise somehow.
12:53Charles Gordon‑Lennox:What could we do? Do we build sound attenuation banks? What do we do to try and cut that back? And of course that required big engineering works and that needed planning. So if it was a sort of catch-22, I couldn't get the planning. Without the planning, I couldn't get the noise of the paperwork removed. So it was a big problem. And it was pretty clear that this was not going to happen straight. It wasn't, if ever, but it was going to be a challenge. So then I had the idea of maybe we could do something here. Could we do something? Because they couldn't stop me doing anything at the house, bizarrely, because there's no noise abatement order on this area.
13:33Charles Gordon‑Lennox:And the 28-day rule applied, so you can do anything within reason in this country for a certain number of days. And Derek Ungara was the FIA track inspector at the time. And Derek was coming down to talk to me about the circuit because I was very worried about it. If we're going to get the circuit ever going again, how are we going to ever get it to a safety level which would be a you know which would do the proper job because we couldn't put arm there and the idea of running armco all around it was like literally your driveway terrible this was the race track not at the festival okay this is the armco at the circuit so ed derrick came to look at the circuit and and and help us you know was there a way forward with the circuit or not even though we knew it was a long-term problem because we were still working away at it and um and so when he when he came down to look at that i said look i've had a bit of an idea of something at the house can i just show you something so i we did a quick we started off actually the kennels and then drove up this way you said oh it's pretty quick it looks you know and they said what about if you went from here rather than because we were going from some different direction so we went down then to the hotel some entrance and then up there he said i think we could do this i think i think you which was amazing because um you know if derek if if he hadn't and dennis carter who actually was CEO of the BALC, which I'm still the president of, actually, Bridge-Romfield Racing Club, if Dennis and Derek both hadn't been very positive about the idea and said, I think we could do this.
15:04Charles Gordon‑Lennox:I mean, Derek said, I think it's a rally stage, actually. I think we can treat it like a rally stage. It would never have happened. It would never have happened. If he'd said no, I would have gone, OK, well, that's disappointing, but you know what do I can I can't fight it so he was he was very uh brilliantly positive and it was quite I mean that first year which I'll talk a bit more about in a minute but that first night that when we opened in 93 I mean we are you there was a string line between you and the track and it was literally just a big and everyone was going oh my god this is like and um and Derek I remember Derek sitting there and he's a Subaru on the side of the track you know people sort of saying well and he says it's no different to a rally stage it's a problem i bet they all loved it as well yeah it was amazing we had a br we had the v16 we had some big things that first year but no it was tiny really i mean i was literally car park i was parking the cars i can remember ringing up honda i remember ringing up the head of marketing at honda paul ormond who they were one of our first partners and saying but paul where are you You know, here, you've got the driver's sign-on tent, and the drivers are waiting to sign up.
16:18Charles Gordon‑Lennox:We haven't got a tent. So it was, you know, it was pretty.
16:21John Reynolds:But there's an innovative side to you, an entrepreneurial side. You had the vision. You needed people to then support you and allow that. But there's a feeling that I get where you have been ingrained and entwined in what's become the evolution of that first year with the string line to what is now massive. And I don't want to skip out that kind of almost, the early part of the journey but i feel like that entrepreneur that you are having the ideas has never gone away you're probably still ingrained in the whole what else can we do what can we do that's different and have you allowed yourself to look back over what is now such a you know decades now of hugely entertaining incredible events and allowed to see how far it's come because i'd love to get the numbers for me it's huge now as an event isn't it globally yeah
17:10Charles Gordon‑Lennox:No, no, it's great. It's been a, but you know, it's a, yeah, it's a weird thing. I mean, it's no different. It doesn't feel any different to me. People say, oh, it's changed a lot. Weird, it doesn't feel any different. The pressure feels just, in a way, feels just the same. We've had brilliant people working for me, brilliant people helping us. And I think, you know, what's been absolutely amazing about it from the beginning is, I think it's just the enthusiasm for it. so you know that first year we had no idea obviously the digital world didn't exist back in 93 so we were just you know out there trying to market the hell out of it saying hey look we're putting on this new event no one's ever heard of it it's cool the festival speed um we you know come it's 20 pounds a ticket or whatever it is gonna you know but again almost no ticket sold in advance in those days you know it was like tickets on the gate we were told by the balc you know from their experience we might get a couple of thousand people uh i knew some people with nice cars robert brooks from bonhams doug knives very involved with robert so bonhams came in it wasn't called it's called robert brooks then it wasn't bonhams at all that was later on robert came in as also as a as a sort of sponsor that first year and um obviously with his connections he knew a lot of a lot of the owners and the and where the cars were and stuff so we tried to put together a pretty sensational group of about was under 100 cars um and and then invite all the owners and some of them were friends and you know literally i said we're literally parking the cars but you know i opened up i've said this story a lot but you know i can remember you know i was pretty nervous you know probably didn't sleep much that night you know woke up early opened the curtains my bathroom at like 6 30 and bloody hell it was like woodstock you know it was mad i mean there just people so we thought wow you know talk about we don't really know how many people turned up because they broke down the fence and people were everywhere we had no tickets for them had to go and literally buy the cloakroom tickets and to give them to come in and then we couldn't have nowhere to put the money so we had a tenant actually who was um had the sculpture park and he was very entrepreneurial and he immediately saw there was a sort of crisis in the car park so got he went to his wife's wardrobe and took out all our old handbags and drove around the car parks dishing the handbags out to the car park attendants so they could fill them up with money and then he drove his old bmw around with a boot up literally pouring putting the money in the back so it was just everyone mucking in everyone mucking but it was pretty chaotic did you allow yourself to get excited about it was a very very very stressful weekend actually uh and we were all I mean, it was a weekend none of us will forget because a motorcyclist, Chas Guy, was killed on the track within the first two hours.
20:04Charles Gordon‑Lennox:So it was like, you know, so I was the first, I think, maybe I've been up once already, but the first, was I the first one up? Probably not actually, so I wasn't the first one up. But the bikes were pretty early on and I was riding my 888 Ducati up. and I was I'd gone up and I was at the top waiting everything seemed to be going fine and suddenly the clerk of the course who was Dennis Carter then arrived and said you better get in the car so I got in the car and he said okay look this isn't great but it's this has happened Chas guy's been killed he was on a he was on a Vincent lovely Vincent motorcycle I am I said lovely lovely guy he was determined to beat the Hondas, the new Hondas.
20:51Charles Gordon‑Lennox:And who knows what happened? Chas went through the finish line, all good. And he got a terrible tank slapper on post the finish line, shot into the trees and hit a small tree. I mean, literally, it was nothing. I mean, one thing I've learned over the years, really, is that these accents are just, every accent's really weird. It's very hard to try and mitigate for an accent. It's very difficult because they always happen in the weirdest ways. Anyway, that was awful. So I thought, well, that's it. Finished. What a terrible thing. We started this event. What a horrible thing. That's all. What a disaster.
21:25Charles Gordon‑Lennox:That's it. It's over. Finished. Won't do it again. And I guess everyone goes home at this point or something, or we get shut down, or what happens? And then he said, no, no, we have to carry on at this point. This is what happens. And there will obviously be an inquiry, and the police will get involved and everything, but we carry on. We control. we run the track we carry on um and uh chas's family were here that was all pretty difficult um and uh it was very very we all very it was you know we said we went here we went down here yeah sure very emotional and then the weekend seemed to go on forever so then that was on the that was it was only two days then so that was saturday morning by sunday it was like we'd been around the world 25 times or something and we were all everyone was so exhausted and you know we then we ended on you know we had such lows and then such highs because everyone was so enthusiastic about it um you know i saw you know when i saw grown men crying hearing the v16 brm fired up for the first time in how many years i thought well this is something you know this is something really meaningful to people and um and that's how we and then it was kind of well that was it and then we you know we finished it and and then it was actually for a long time for many years every time we did one we were never going to do one again oh really it was like never doing that
22:49John Reynolds:again that is just beyond manageable and then and then how did they it was like did you take time out and then go okay we're going to do it but other people say we because you've got people i can tell you that because i've been coming since 97 i've walked past people like jock and mass who are running past you with a helmet who've just gone up the hill in one car and they're running back to the paddock to get in another car and this the smile on his face is he's loving it and that's the thing it's the drivers it's the cars it's grown men that may and and showing their kids and their grandkids cars that they talked about and they were talked about by their parents when they were younger that's what goodwood festival speed is for me it's it's the modern form of one cars sports cars it's the historic and everything in between supercars and i think that's the other thing.
23:38John Reynolds:I remember going to Earl's Court Motor Show with my father and seeing, I remember memorably the F40 being launched in 88 or 89 and just seeing the car for the first time. Now you've effectively got the British Motor Show here and you get to see them going up the hill. You get to hear them, you get to see them. Did that creep into your vision? Did that happen organically and manufacturers start approaching? Or did you have the innovation to kind of think we could make this a lot bigger.
24:32Charles Gordon‑Lennox:This episode is brought to you by Venmo. With the Venmo debit card, a taco in one hand, and ordering a ride in the other means you're stacking your rewards. Nice. Get up to 5 % cash back with Venmo Stash on your favorite brands when you pay with your Venmo debit card.
24:48John Reynolds:Pick a bundle with your go-tos and start earning cash back. Do more Stash, get more cash. Visit Venmo.com to learn more. Venmo Stash bundle terms and exclusions apply. See terms at Venmo.me slash stashterms. Max$100 cash back per month.
25:02Charles Gordon‑Lennox:No, I think we were, I think from the beginning, you know, that we wanted it to be something. It wasn't like Worcester, a little event. We definitely, you know, were ambitious. We wanted it to be something. That first year, we wanted it to really be something and to go somewhere. I don't think we honestly you know as you said just now I mean it has been amazing it's grown uh like crazy but it's kind of it's it kind of from honestly the moment people arrived that first day it just kind of had a life of its own in a weird way it was like just gonna go and um it just had an energy all of its own and um I remember that you know that first year we had Aston Martin were our very first partner actually and uh we had honda citroen bonner robert brooks very yeah and my idea was that we could we cover our costs with our part with those partners and could we um you know and if you know maybe that maybe the spectators would be yeah that would be our sort of extra bit that we could if we could just we just about and it was amazing really we did pretty much just about cover the cost the first year was just about came out of it in one piece uh and um uh it was about a hundred it was it was i mean it cost us about a hundred thousand i think to put it on and it's
26:25John Reynolds:now about 25 million to put it on wow give me some more stats i mean it's a big old number it really is and tell me about sort of how early you prepare for it as well i'm very conscious there's other things to talk about other than the festivus people you can tell it's really piqued my interest but give me an idea of the scale you know i come here as a punter and it's just vast and it goes all about the hill to the rally stage and countless stands you know how early do you prepare for it in the year because the lawn's looking immaculate well we try and start much
26:52Charles Gordon‑Lennox:earlier so we need to start 18 months in advance so we're thinking about it obviously now we need to be completely you know we're not but we need for this year we need to be really really advanced But, you know, it's hard to get answers from everybody and know everybody. It never happens quite like that. But we need to know, you know, what our themes are, what we're looking at, as early as we possibly can. And then we start, everyone says to me, you know, over Christmas and now everyone says, oh, this must be your quietest time of year. I'm going, no, no, this is my worst time because we're absolutely, you know, we're not done.
Read the full transcript
27:25Charles Gordon‑Lennox:We should be done. You know, we got to be preparing for it all. and then we start the build in about we start the build in about april
27:36John Reynolds:is that right major and that's for a july event just in the context of anyone yeah we start right
27:41Charles Gordon‑Lennox:at the top and we start to build it down so it affects it hopefully affects the activities in the house as little as possible uh but it's not it has a lot of impact you know we can't do anything in the house for all of june and july really because it's so busy out there and it's it has a big impact on the family i mean we are absolutely surrounded uh with that so it's a big build it's a three it's three months in and out um i mean somebody said actually i'm not suggesting this is necessarily true but somebody said uh somebody was just it's the biggest greenfield site build in the world because you look at the stands as well so obviously um you know there are some huge um There are some huge events in the world, huge music events and things as well.
28:28Charles Gordon‑Lennox:But in terms of actual and also cost of build, because that number I mentioned now, that's just what it costs us to put it on. That's not what all the stands are. You think every manufacturer's, you know, not quite so much now in the world we're in, in terms of, you know, the builds. But they are building huge, they're building, you know, like a dealership almost. Exactly.
28:49John Reynolds:I mean, incredible. The manufacturers and some of the brands that now take us down, if you like, the structures are so important.
28:59Charles Gordon‑Lennox:That's a huge build. And then they're all on site for a month building that. And then we've got to get them done on time. And so the overall commitment and the overall investment, you know, some of those, I mean, they're investing millions in the weekend.
29:14John Reynolds:But that makes this, a lot of what you're doing there, a hub for businesses to thrive within. that motorsport and the automotive community must be you know i mean i almost feel like at this point i want to thank you for the incredible memories i spent with friends family um and coming here i've actually done three days in a row as a younger version than me because you just couldn't get enough out of it and i come with a good friend patrick conony uh and we would just have a different experience every day and so that's just that's my personal appreciation and thanks to you but countless others that benefit from that.
29:47John Reynolds:I want to bring up that entrepreneurial piece and I want to bring everything into the estate, the sports, so the horse racing, the cricket, the golf, the kennels, and probably flipping that to you, all sorts of other business interests that you've got because that part you said where you were at one point looking to generate more revenue, be aristocratic, old English money that often had great big estates that are very expensive to run without cash flow without income coming in there's some really sad stories about how those families have deteriorated and not survived so that's where that entrepreneur that you are the vision you've had to create what you've done here i want to know at what point you sort of change your focus so where i'm going with it is the first sort of speed is now the monster is do you flip it to then looking to sort of accelerate the golf the horse racing and what else can you do kind of thing is that how your brain works and so have these different pillars
30:44Charles Gordon‑Lennox:of income for this yeah we're trying absolutely trying to you know trying to grow all the time we've got too many different things going on probably a lot right 29 what have i not mentioned farm shop or 29 profit centers probably well we've got the you know you're right in the sense of traditional states you know a traditional estate as a business is difficult farm forestry property those sorts of overheads that was just a huge you know yeah um you know covid was pretty pretty terrifying because we just had a massive fixed overhead and actually it was income zero we employ about 750 people um so we we really really really need to be profitable and um and uh and we need at the same time as being profitable support you know the long-term plans we've got to keep the place going so we're not trying to make lots we're not trying to be super we're not trying to be super clever you know we're not trying to squeeze everything out of it we it's got to last so we You don't want to do things that damage it.
31:39Charles Gordon‑Lennox:And the festivities are worried in that sense. It does do quite, you know, it takes, you get nothing from, you know, you can't have something for nothing. It takes quite a toll on the ground and things. But the most important thing, the whole reason for all of this in a way is to keep it all alive and well and make it relevant to a modern world. So it's really to take our history, take our heritage and make the most of that. so that's good for everyone and also turn that into make that useful turn that into the into
32:10John Reynolds:the into a business yes you're doing and then i hope the immunity benefits then as well can i can i humanize you for a moment there's a there's a pressure coming from the sort of the hierarchy and the heritage and history you've got that almost puts that pressure on you to to sort of be the next person that does something innovative and make sure that everything survives and thrives Have you embraced that at all times? We've had moments where it's almost intimidating and almost a burden. Before, of course, what you've done, those earlier years where you were creating the things you've done. Was that something you thrived within or was that something you found?
32:46Charles Gordon‑Lennox:I think it's probably, you know, it's definitely inspiring. You know, it's fun. It's inspiring. We've got to make it work. You know, we've got a fantastic opportunity. We got this great palette, you know, of our little mantras, horse racing, motor racing, golf, flying, shooting and cricket, you know, all together in one small place in a way. I mean, it's all just here. And those are all just sports, you know, activities, which various members of the family over 300 years, they really loved. So they all come through because people love doing it. No one tried to be smart. And none of this has been dreamt that because someone was trying to make some money out of it or anything.
33:25Charles Gordon‑Lennox:It's just that people loved it. And they were lucky enough, I guess, to be able to indulge in their passions. But at least they were busy and they were doing stuff and they were involved in the, you know, they're very political as well. They were doing lots of things. But it started off with the hunting. The first fox hunt in the world was here. That's why it all started. Kennels was built. Hounds rule here. That was a big thing. Cricket, 1702, the first game of cricket was played here. We've got the earliest written rules of cricket in the world, you know, which is big. So 300 years next year was a big celebration.
33:55Charles Gordon‑Lennox:1727, those laws, I think they call them, were written. So we've got very involved with cricket and really early. And then horse racing started. Cricket was 1702, the first game. The first horse racing here was, public horse racing was 1801. And so these things have been, you know, they've been going, they're already institutional, really. The horse races have been going a long time. But it's been great to try and, I guess what's been exciting is it's, I mean, brand's a bit of a commercial word, but it's trying to create this, you know, what does goodwill mean to people? why do people you know love it what is it that is that what is it that brings it makes it all happen and um and trying to bring all these sports back to life and and make something of them and create this unique sort of you know this unique feeling yeah and i think the place you know i think the place itself has a lot to answer for in a way i think you know you know people have done these things because they love doing them they were super enthusiastic i hope that that feeling carries on it doesn't feel commercial it feels like it's being done because we all love it it's important i mean you know sheer love of life is in one of our values in the in the you know for everyone who works here and my sort of you know my point about that to to to them is that if i don't love doing it you're probably not going to love doing if you don't love it why are our customers going to love it they build up they've got to love they've got to love coming they've got to love doing it and we're super like because we're actually and we're also doing stuff that people love so what more you know that's very lucky we're not doing boring old stuff so that's very very fortunate but i do think the place itself you know from the very beginning um you know those early days of the horse racing and things you know they were racing their horses up there anyway because so many people used to come up and start to watch things it became a public event so there's always been this very much this shared you know it's a shared experience it's like you know we love our horse racing we're going to race our horses but you can come and
35:48John Reynolds:enjoy that as well if you want i love that because that parallels the the sort of the string between uh anyone and the the track or the driveway for your first test of speed build it and they'll come but you're doing because you wanted to that your passion in that instance has led to countless people coming over these years and previous you know generations it's fun to try
36:10Charles Gordon‑Lennox:remembering those early years trying to get the right cars here we yeah these cars didn't exist then i mean 30 years ago you know an auto union or something they were still in east germany pretty much you know there wasn't one so we were trying to find these cars from around the world and find weird people that had them and dig them out i bet you enjoyed that we loved that yes it was really fun but the main i but a real driver for it was this you know we just it was it was kind of thinking well everyone's gonna love this we just if they're gonna if they can see this you know when um when uh um you know mercedes uh at the w165 had its first outing here you know so it won the tripoli grand prix and then never came out the box it arrived in tripoli won the race and then you know before the war and there was never seen again and um and then it was it was it was rebuilt and it came here for the first time you mentioned that car would you say that's the car that meant the most to you out of all the years no that's impossible um that's that's an
37:11John Reynolds:unfair question what's the first car that comes to mind of all the years that you've hunted these cars out to come the one car that for whatever reason springs to front of your mind that you're
37:21Charles Gordon‑Lennox:so pleased you got it here well there are there there are there are a few there are a few and there there are um uh yeah i mean it was it was uh because no one knew where they were then really now they will know where they are and we'll you know they're all we know i mean getting jim hall to bring the chaparrales the first time was getting ferrari here the first time having the grand prix team here lucas sending the grand prix team in 97 for the first time and just saying i went to see him and marinello what do you want i said this is what i what is what i need he said no problem there we come and they've come every year since you that was a big moment for me because i wasn't you know and he he's so glad i made that year and he um i drove in with him from bologna his house and you know when i heard him on the phone to his office saying i want i mean my i'm in the car i'm going i want to see mr braun and mr todd everybody because it was it was uh and we sat in the office and he said we're going to goodwood okay where is this goodwood what are you doing we're trying to win races and he said no no we're going so i bet lots of business has been done here since so um yeah those were big moments those are a bit like oh my god okay this is a big this is a big step forward and gave him the chaperas i remember i came out of the dining window so it was french door and this guy ran into me knocked me over till eight o 'clock in morning or something he said i'm so sorry i'm so sorry i just i've come from chicago i've come to see the chaparrales i thought wow we've shipped you know because they'd never been they hadn't been out of texas for you know no one had seen them for years if ever you know and suddenly jim brought them and um and this you know these people came all the way from chicago to see a car that was in america anyway because it's the first time it had been seen so so to get those really obscure you know first car first car with a wing you know first car with you know the sucker car
39:19John Reynolds:with the with the um grand force yeah is there a car that's alluded you to this date you still
39:25Charles Gordon‑Lennox:haven't got it here but oh yeah well then there definitely are um uh there are a few obviously a few cars and a few and a few drivers that we that we that we never got annoyingly but um i'm trying think what car in particular we would um because i can imagine you're relentless when you are well we want the best one your passion so we want a one that's you know we want the one that we that is the one i think that's another important thing uh about well both events is that i want people to see the best cars in the world so when they see a car even though they don't know that is the one we want it to be the one if at all possible because i think that just sets a whole it sets a whole feeling to the even if they don't know it is it's not if they're all that good yeah it suddenly becomes something you know beyond uh just bringing a load of cars together so and and uh so to get the best cars in the world here is really important yeah and um you know i used to dream about so what is quite weird is i used to dream about a lot of these cars as a child so i come here for the motor racing i'd then be at school and i you know my dormitory or whatever trying to dream about trying to go to sleep dreaming about being here and dreaming about these cars and then um things like the automobile book i then draw a lot of the cars and things copy them out the books and things and then what's weird is they've all been here so all those cars i dreamt of as a child i said well we'll have that one we'll have that one one of those they've all been here and i've driven and i i don't own them annoyingly but i've driven a lot of them you say that's quite unusual that yeah we're quite with yeah it's just either i want you kind of if you want it badly enough it'll it's sort of that's my point and we've had yeah yeah it's the only event and again it's developed because it actually started off really just as classic racing cars to start with and even the big manufacturers originally really only bought they didn't really they weren't really interested in sharing modern cars and obviously it's grown in that sense a lot it's the end event which brings every genre together across 100 years all in one place so we've had without any doubt more cars more great cars here than anywhere else and then more great cars have been on that bit of grass out there than anywhere else in the world which is another
41:43John Reynolds:weird thing it's incredible what a statement yeah humanizing it to you what's your favorite car if we were going to go for a drive it was in a beautiful day today it's actually getting dark right now but if it was if it was a trip to the the kennels for lunch maybe there'll be a lot there'll be a lot there'll be a few um uh well the car i most regret not owning uh uh
42:11Charles Gordon‑Lennox:is the is sterling's 250 short short wheelbase which i actually did have the opportunity to That was a missed opportunity. But that car, which Ross Bourne knows, is the Goonwood car. It was the one he won the TT Inn, famously listening to Raymond Baxter on the radio. So the car arrived from Italy, fitted with the radio. It arrived, I think, on the morning. So it was Rob Walker's, Rob Walker livery, Rob Walker team. And I think it arrived. It was late. needless to say it arrived literally the morning of the race i think pretty much but it came with a radio fitted as weirdly a standard so sterling ran the race listening to the commentary of him winning the race um that that would be a card love that's a good it's that dark you know the dark blue one uh a6 gcs maserati i'd put there's one that come there's that light blue one i think there are two there you have to buy two there you've got to put the bodies in the edge and you sort of put them back together again but um that's a never driven that that's a beautiful thing uh but i have driven and i've been lucky i've driven so many put me i'm a big porsche fan i had a big friday family i'm a big porsche fan and um and i've driven so many great porsches um you know i've been ix's lemong car 9083 um which is the best car for almost the best car for the job out here the gulf you know with the gulf yeah that's a flashback to when porsche
43:40John Reynolds:celebrated that's a gorgeous outside here mark webber drove in and all the porsches parked around it's incredible they're just sort of marinating and where we are right now you live here but for me this is a pleasure you just used the word you said i'm lucky enough to have driven lots of cars but you make your own luck and i want to bring success into this you have achieved a huge amount of success with all the things that you've put your hand to and i want to ask you sitting here now what your definition of success is. This episode is brought to you by eBay. On eBay, behind every car and part is a story waiting to be shared.
44:15John Reynolds:I read about this guy who bought a nearly scrapped 2020 Porsche Cayman. He rebuilt the whole thing, all with parts he found on eBay.
44:23Charles Gordon‑Lennox:And now that Cayman is out tearing up the track. From Toyota to Ashton Martins, eBay has thousands
44:29John Reynolds:of cars and the largest online selection of vehicle parts and accessories. eBay, things, people love.
45:09Charles Gordon‑Lennox:Well, it's a very difficult question. I mean, I don't know if it has been. And the challenge continues. So I don't feel, I mean, I think it's been a good thing. And I think, I hope that all the things we try and do are good things for people. Hopefully, you know, are good for people. um so i think that's important um and um i guess success in a way setting yourself a setting yourself a goal and ambition and hopefully hitting it i guess as soon as you hit it you're on you're on to another one and that's kind of okay of course that's done and um you're kind of moving on and we need to move on i mean a place like this needs to move on we don't want to get stuck in this you know we don't get stuck in the heritage world really uh we we're it's very much part of what we have we're so lucky yeah i don't so i'm very i don't underestimate that i mean to have it we started from a very very good place and that we had the history um we've got everyone loves these sports we've got the history we've got the narrative uh and that's and and we're so lucky with with goodwood's yeah goodwood's first incarnation was where motivation was its most you know exciting most dangerous you know most glorious and we're lucky to have sat perfectly in that in that moment but um no success for me is really keeping you know goodwood can grow because if if people feel strongly about it i mean i'm very touched when people you know we've got families it like you've been coming for 25 years yeah the children were like this now they're like this they all come they come every year um you know when small boys say that's the best weekend i've ever had that was my best weekend ever that's you know i mean you can say well it doesn't really matter but yeah that's that's uh meaningful so i think yeah it's a legacy now to be meaningful is important and it's it's um and to and to be able to um you know make it all happen i mean i think goodwill is very much about bringing people together yes you can feel that lots of levels
47:22John Reynolds:you feel that and you know the revival meeting which we you know plenty of people probably furious with me for not talking about it more but i think that personal speed it just brings that whole everything motorsports together but the revival the members meeting i've been to breakfast clubs and the community element you're getting up really early morning for an excuse to enjoy your car, to then drive to meet like-minded people, have a Goodwood Estate bacon and egg bap, and then be home by 9.30. You know, you've created a community element that, again, I can't thank you enough for and countless others.
47:58John Reynolds:I feel like I've dominated a lot of the conversation around the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I want to talk about the revival, because that is a lot of people around me's favourite event to come to. I want to kind of almost get anyone watching and listening to understand more about it.
48:11Charles Gordon‑Lennox:Well, Revival was an interesting one because obviously that was where we started. So we were trying to get the racetrack reopened at the beginning and Festival Speed happened in 93 and it wasn't eventually. 98, we had our first, we got planned permission to open the track literally kind of pretty much the morning if we did it. And then September 98, extraordinary 50 years to the day that the track opened originally. That wasn't an intentional thing. It's just sort of how it panned out. and um you know seeing that come to like so trying to create that and then think about how we could really kind of deliver again create again what good was all about in the 50s and 60s and um i guess the initial the initial uh idea was that we would we started off thinking was it going to be a modern racetrack so in a way it was a good thing we did the festival first because it made me realize that you know that was the usp really the fact they hadn't been touched so you got this great track pretty much unique in the world i mean no one's it's never been altered it's exactly as it was the buildings have fallen down so we rebuilt a lot of those wartime buildings just to keep the the look and feel of it the same so in a way it was like how do we make this feel and look the same perhaps look even a bit better than it did but um have all those same the sort of same feelings and touch points and then some bright spots well why don't we get everyone to you know bring the right picnic handles well i think we start arriving the right cars let's get one to come in an old let's get one to come in an old car that'd be fun and then we said well maybe they should come you know with all the right then well maybe they should even dress like they were there so that wasn't your idea because that was well it might have been i don't know but you know there's a lot of uh it does it kind of grew and then there's a lot of people people love that a lot of you so that isn't going to work that is not good that we're not going to that is not going to work we can't do that so you made it optional so people can well we didn't make it optional the paddock so it wasn't optional from the from day one it wasn't really optional you had to if you're going to go in the paddock you had to you had to make an effort so it was members only in the paddock which was a good idea as well actually and then it was it because that sort of drove the whole grrc thing at the beginning when they weren't really knew what it was and then and then it was you got to wear a tie uh or you got to wear a tie or you want a jacket or you certainly can't wear jeans and trainers and there was style police so you know it was kind of fine to smoke in the paddock but not to wear trainers
50:45Charles Gordon‑Lennox:and yeah it took a bit of time people there was a bit of you know it took a few years but then is usually now and now if you don't make an effort uh you feel a bit uncomfortable and you i'll get kids coming and they just go oh wow they didn't really i'll get a bit crossed really about having to sort of make this effort and then when they're there they're going wow this is so cool we love it and and it's become obviously a big thing but it's and it's also turned into you know revivals uh become really interesting because it's it's um yeah it's a it's got a very modern even though it's celebrating this this moment i don't think it's it's it's not all about nostalgia or anything so everybody looks amazing which gives it a great feel everyone makes a big effort that's another really important is everyone thinks they're in the film so that makes a huge difference so you know that i guess that's all we want to feel about all our events but the revival is definitely the most intense where the people there are all in it yes yeah they feel that and they don't want to leave that's not sure they don't like leaving we can't get people to go literally say no we don't want to go back out there we like being here and that's really that's that's that that's really nice but um you know it's become about so that the whole the whole fashion thing has become about you know revive and thrive well the whole ethos ethos of the event really and especially around these old cars these old cars are good you know these are good for the environment these cars cost us you know they're not costing anybody anything they've been these great old racing cars it doesn't matter that they're worth tens of millions or not it's not important but they're just been smashed up rebuilt smashed up rebuilt they don't they're you know they're that's just all they're like an old pair of lovely shoes and um and the whole vintage fashion things about you know buy the best made to last look after things pass them on so our whole motto the whole the whole sort of you know tagline around revival is revive and thrive so that's that's the real driver and of course when and it's now the you know first motorsport event in the world to run you know to mandate synthetic fuel so everyone's running you can't come unless you're running on synthetic fuel so there are all these great cars all all running on that and um and it's about sustainability so it's a it's a much young it's got a very young message and a very relevant message uh but it's you know these old cars mustn't be seen as bad you know they're good things they don't uh you know they don't only want anything no
53:05John Reynolds:love the revive and thrive yeah and i also love the i think i'm going to bring that attention to detail in which i think so much comes from you and i want to bring your own personal style in I've seen you from a distance even a breakfast event you turned up in a beautiful fiat, I forget the model and you were just mingling with all the enthusiasts there I met you in London and where I'm going is you're impeccably turned out, including right now there's a discipline to that there's an element of showing up and looking how you do have you ever gone away from that? it feels like that's important to you in turning up looking the way you do
53:45Charles Gordon‑Lennox:not really no i've always been um i've always been uh uh interested in that and interested in people kind of you know i think we're also goodwood's very much for after horse racing there's quite a kind of that's an important message around the horse racing as well so you know famously edward the seventh so it used to be goodwood used to be like asco in morning morning suits and then edward the seventh turned up one year allegedly with us a white top hat So all the young guys rushed out, sent their valets out to find the white top hats. Next year, they're all ready for him with their white top hats.
54:18Charles Gordon‑Lennox:He turned up in a sort of cream linen suit and a Panama hat, so a complete change. So from then on, Goodwill became sort of much more relaxed than Ascot. And quite, you know, so about men in linen suits and that whole look. so good was always been quite you know so i guess when we decided again to to um focus on the fashion at revival and that being an important one what people you know people making that effort at revival that was a that was an important decision and then trying to find old fabric so i've had lots of great suits made but in 50s fabrics and all sorts of things and um it's a you I mean, it's not an effort, but it is, I suppose, making it, you know, it is, you know, it is living that.
55:07And I guess I do live that every day, but in a way, but at Revival, making the effort is what makes the difference because people then feel they've made an effort.
55:16Charles Gordon‑Lennox:So they're not and they're not driving, but they've made an effort and they've come and here. And so they feel that they're now part of it. They're all in the, they can feel that they're in the family. They're all there together. Hey, look what I've done. what have you done you know you haven't tried very hard whatever but and then so and that's a really that we had no i we honestly that was when we had the idea for that people should dress and that the idea that it would bring people together yes we would never entered our heads really so
55:44John Reynolds:that's been a huge yeah i've been on both sides of i've been in the so i feel like i belong and everyone gives you that knowing look and i've also walked through the palette and i've been dressed effectively in sort of relatively casual time. You can sense the whole, you shouldn't be here. Why have you not made the effort? I'm conscious of time. There's a lot here that is sort of innovative, brilliant ideas that keep kind of developing into where we are today. Can you share with me anything you're working on that you're excited about that we can look forward to that's coming? Because I feel like you've got lots of ideas that entrepreneurial side to you.
56:19John Reynolds:Is there anything you're excited about that's coming?
56:21Charles Gordon‑Lennox:This episode is brought to you by Peloton.
56:23John Reynolds:Breakthrough the busiest time of year with the brand new Peloton Cross Training Tread Plus, powered by Peloton IQ.
56:29Charles Gordon‑Lennox:With real-time guidance and endless ways to move, you can personalize your workouts and train with confidence, helping you reach your goals in less time. Let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push, and go.
56:41John Reynolds:Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Tread Plus at OnePeloton.com. We all have that dream trip we've been wishing we could go on. But too often, life, or usually price, gets in the way. That's why Priceline is here to help you turn your dream trip into reality. With up to 60 % off hotels and up to 50 % off flights, you can book everything you need for your next adventure. Don't just dream about that next trip. Book it with Priceline. Download the Priceline app or visit Priceline.com and book your next trip today.
57:13Charles Gordon‑Lennox:Go to your happy price. Priceline.
57:19Charles Gordon‑Lennox:Well, there are quite a few developments around, I guess, FESB and Revival, the car thing and membership and things. We're very excited about whether we can take that, move that around the world and do other things with it. We've looked at that quite a lot. We've just got to find the right way of doing it. And it's a big question for me. Is it really all about being here? Is it really rooted it or can we take it out so the brand and and and getting that right that's that's a a big issue for us we started this crazy dog thing dog event called good wolf um so dogs have played a big part in the family i mean lots of these pictures you know portraits painted and they've got their dogs in the picture the hunt was the first thing here it's the reason the family came in the first place uh we've got this beautiful kennels building which was considered the most luxurious doghouse in the world when it was built they put central heating in there 100 years for the hands before they put it in the house so you know an 18th century english aristocrat spent much more time and effort probably on his dogs and horses than he did on his house and his guests his family so and i and coming out of covid we just thought there's so much interest and so much around dogs so we've done this this really it is very it is a very fun thing yeah um and um you know it's about the dog it's for the dog it's about one's relationship with the dog it's definitely not a dog show so that's a challenge for us is trying to get to understand that this is something completely different and actually all the events we do it gets the highest score for highest mps score so it's quite interesting but it is a it is a you know and again you know it's crazy it's like pilates with your dog it's like you know we have a ministry of hound dancing with your dog we do a whole architecture competition with the world's great architects competing for the best dog kennel.
59:03Charles Gordon‑Lennox:We pick a different theme ever. It's dogs in space. This year where it lives designing kennels for space. And we've got, you know, these great architects and designers doing that. And then they're all sold for charity and stuff. So that's a fun thing. And very, you know, it's a creative fun thing. But they're not easy to get off. These things, you know, they're not easy to get off the ground. You have a phenomenal track record. We need a lot of time. We've got some great partners at all our events. We've been fantastic, lucky with our sponsorships and our partners and our supporters and in covid everyone was all our members were unbelievably supportive and helpful and so we've been really uh yeah there's so much goodwill there we're really lucky yeah but it goes
59:41John Reynolds:back to that community i mean you what you've what you set out to create and then achieved everyone wants to be part of that in the you know that's you know really important from a community point of view my final question for you across the whole of the year is there a day you look forward to the most day after festival speed probably the relief well yeah i mean probably yeah well i don't look
1:00:06Charles Gordon‑Lennox:but it's a you know it's a it's a to come come through it i said i said right at the beginning at the beginning we at the beginning of of um when we first created it was like we were never going to do it again that went on for quite a few years i can remember my pa having on the filing cabinet yeah not another first you know on the festival speed draw it was not another festival speed so we wouldn't decide off until the last minutes we're going through and we're announcing the dates or not are we going or not you know those early days was all of it and we're going oh my god okay we'll do it again so we it was a real kind of it was such a it was such a huge you know it was a heavy lift yeah that we go then at the end of it you'd be so you know i guess you know you'd be both exhausted and happy and excited and we've had some horrible ones you We've had some very difficult years.
1:00:58And, but, you know, in a way that, you know,
1:01:03Charles Gordon‑Lennox:that makes the whole experience very, very intense. And, you know, you've got the good ones and the bad ones. And it is just a thing, but it is a relief when it's over.
1:01:11John Reynolds:I can feel that from you. You need to keep doing them because myself and many others so look forward to it and so enjoy it. You made time to talk with me today. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you've enjoyed talking to me. Pleasure. No, very much. Thanks a lot. Thank you.
1:01:54John Reynolds:way to greatness. So pick up the Irish flute or those calligraphy pens or that daunting Beef Wellington recipe card and leave the laundry to us. Rinse. It's time to be great. Thought sweetgreen was just salads? Think again. There's a new way to do sweetgreen. Wrapped and ready. These handheld wraps pack bold flavor and 40 plus grams of protein into something hearty, satisfying, and built for life on the go. From craveable sauces to satisfying textures. They're designed to keep you going without slowing you down. So put that fork down. Try the new wraps today in app or at order.sweetgreen.com. Available at participating locations only.
From the publisher
In this episode of Extraordinary Life Stories, John Reynolds sits down with Charles Gordon‑Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond in the historic surroundings of Goodwood House to uncover the remarkable journey behind one of Britain’s most iconic estates and motorsport events.From growing up surrounded by the legacy of his grandfather, to reinventing that heritage for a modern world, the Duke shares how passion for cars, history, and community led to the creation of the globally celebrated Goodwood Festival of Speed.What began in 1993 as a bold experiment, with little more than a hill, a string line, and fewer than 100 cars, has grown into one of the largest motorsport celebrations on Earth.In this candid conversation, the Duke reveals the chaos and emotion of that first event, the tragedies and triumphs that shaped it, and the entrepreneurial drive required to sustain a 300 year old estate in the modern age.The conversation also explores how the Duke has expanded Goodwood into a calendar of world class experiences beyond the Goodwood Festival of Speed. From the nostalgic magic of the Goodwood Revival, where the golden age of motorsport is brought vividly back to life, to the historic sport of Glorious Goodwood at Goodwood Racecourse, the estate continues to celebrate its centuries-old sporting heritage. More recently, the Duke has even introduced Goodwoof, a joyful festival dedicated entirely to dogs, showing how Goodwood continues to evolve, blending tradition, innovation, and community in ways few places in the world can match.Along the way, he reflects on family legacy, the pressure of stewardship, the magic of bringing legendary machines and drivers together, and why passion has always been at the heart of Goodwood.This is a story about vision, resilience, and the extraordinary power of following what you love. 🏁Extraordinary Life Stories is proudly sponsored by IFS.ai



