Last weekend saw the first of what will, hopefully, be an annual new festival on the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex. Billed as a 'celebration of creative British cool', Vintage at Goodwood aimed to inject a bit of glamour back into the UK festival calendar and bring music, fashion, art and design back together where they belong.
But did it succeed? Well, first impressions were good, with coaches to bring guests arriving at the local train station right to the gate, campsites with real plumbed-in bathrooms, and a fairy-light adorned woodland walk to reach the entrance. Once you reached the main site, however, no one really knew what to expect. On the Friday, organisation seemed a little sparse and so much moaning was apparently to be found on Twitter, but there were bound to be teething problems so a little patience was all that was required.
The 'high street' had been well publicised and was a great visual treat on first entering Vintage. Once you’d gone through the archway proclaiming this to be the festival of our lives – there were a lot of memories relived that weekend, I’m sure! – it was a short walk down the red carpet and past some beautiful vintage cars before you got to the likes of John Lewis, Oxfam, a beauty salon run by Lipstick & Curls, a fabulous gin bar, a 70s curry house, Fortnum and Mason’s tea shop, and even a cinema. It was a good place to get your bearings from, and the clock tower was perfect when arranging to meet people.
On either side of this was the Vintage Marketplace, made up of lots of smaller retailers and workshop areas. Here you could buy vintage and retro clothing and homeware, request tunes from the Charity Shop DJ, make your own bikinis and bunting, take part in a 60s art class, or have your photo taken in your best vintage outfit. There were plenty of tasty and fairly reasonably priced food options too, if all that walking around left you feeling a bit peckish.
As Vintage was a festival for all ages, there was also plenty for the kids to do. The Butlin’s tent had plenty of entertainment options, and the funfair looked to be a big hit. After wearing themselves out at the roller disco, I saw many families head to the beach area where adults relaxed in deckchairs and watched the children build sand castles. For later in the evening, there were also babysitters so that parents could make sure they got to enjoy some time for themselves!
The art, design and fashion were all easy to find, but what about the music? This was arranged around a handful of venues: The Tanqueray Torch Club kept the 40s flame burning; Let It Rock was the place for 50s tunes; The Leisure Dome had that 60s vibe; The Soul Casino had a hefty dose of the 70s; and 80s fun could be had in The Warehouse. On top of that, there was the 'Inspired By…' stage and the Main Stage. The line-ups at each venue could have been better publicised but, once you found your favourites, the music on offer did not disappoint.
The day time saw many people arrive in vintage clothes, whereas the night was more for traditional festival gear and, sadly, some cheesy fancy dress, but everyone was there to have a good time and the smiles stayed put throughout the variable weather. On the website, Vintage at Goodwood organisers described the event thus:
"Vintage will explore the musical, design and cultural lineages and explore where they are taking us. Think of Vintage at Goodwood as the new annual Festival of Britain. Whether your thing is Swing, Rockabilly, Mod, Soul, Funk, Disco, Ska, Electro, Burlesque, Film, Art & Design, or you just want to dress up […] Vintage at Goodwood will be visual, responsible, aural and sensual, a big family dressing up box, a collectors dream and a joyous creative feast for all ages."
Based on that, I think Vintage most certainly delivered on its promises. The atmosphere was happy, relaxed and friendly, reminding me of wonderful camping holidays and large village fairs attended in my youth. It harked back to a time when festivals were about having fun rather than getting insanely drunk and muddy. The rain may have come, but wood chippings were spread on the worst of it and the hard ground meant that I could have worn heels after all!
It may not have been ‘vintage’ enough for some people but, for a first go, I thought that Vintage at Goodwood was a fantastic festival. I’m sure they will learn a great many things from this year’s experience, which will help to improve it next time round. More women’s toilets and better signage for the food and music options would be my request. However, it was the friendly happy people that really made it work for me, and so I’m looking forward to the next one already.
Image © Lori Smith for BitchBuzz.com