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Each year, right up to the time that they built the bypass around Chichester, at Goodwood time, the children would assemble along the St. Pancras, between New Park Road and the Victoria Pub, remembers Harold Taylor. Harold's memories would have been around the time of the 1930's. He continues...
As the coaches made their way to the racecourse we would sing, 'Copper Gents, throw out your pence and don't forget your silver.' Upon hearing this, the occupants would throw us money, causing a mad scramble by us all to gather up as much as we could.
Because many would have been to the 'Vic' for lunch or a drink, there was usually plenty of change flying about for the fifty or so kids waiting.
In those days, the Rest Gardens were not there, only a disused cemetery in which we played. It was surrounded on two sides by a low flint wall that was in poor repair, which had rounded coping stones that made a convenient place to sit whilst waiting for coaches and collecting car numbers. On the 'rec' side, the cemetery had only a low wire fence, whilst on the New Park Road boundary there were sharp, spiked railings which looked more like spears.
Until after the war, there was only one meeting held at Goodwood each year. It was a four day meeting and provided extra employment for many people. When I started work I discovered some people took their holidays at that time, so as to gain added income. I am not certain whether paid holidays were common. I say this because I recall after the war there being a system that was brought in, whereby 2/- per week was deducted from your pay to cover holiday payment.
Many school children also got jobs as litter pickers at Goodwood. It was an interesting past time to sit on the Trundle and see this band of 'ants' lined up, then watch them progress across the enclosures, seeing the assorted coloured rubbish disappear, leaving behind a green swathe. I once applied, but wasn't accepted, whereas some of my friends, who had relatives already engaged with the estate, were.
Goodwood Day was, and still is, set for the last Tuesday in August, and we could always set the date of the summer break up for schools by that, which would be the Friday before.
The racetrack in those days crossed the road, which would be covered in peat or bark chippings. Traffic would be held up whilst the race was on, and it was a good place to watch the jockeys and horses for free after they had passed the winning post and cantered up the hill to slow down. One of the crowd's pet hates was Gordon Richards, and as he passed, you would always hear the cry of 'big head'. I recall the cry of 'Come on Steve', for Steve Donaghue, although he was principally a jump jockey.
The Trundle was probably the best spot to watch the races. However, around 1935, The Duke of Richmond decided that he was losing out, so fenced in most of the Trundle and made people pay to go in. It did not affect those who just went to watch, as there was always someone inside the enclosure who was prepared to put their hand through the fence to place a bet for those outside. We would sit up on the ancient earthworks and have a wonderful day out, enjoying our picnic.
My mother particularly liked the going home period, when all the different coloured coaches and charabancs left the car parks and made their way homeward; she revelled in the kaleidoscope of colour.
The erection of this fence calls to mind that our Ducal Houses are not as patriotic as they would like one to think. During the war there was an appeal for scrap metal, and people were not given much choice in the matter. Miles and miles of cast iron railings were moved from domestic premises, which was of no use whatsoever. These were left to rot in vast scrap heaps throughout the country. Not so the mild steel of which the railings round the Trundle enclosure were made.
How patriotic everyone thought the Duke was when his enclosure was taken down. For scrap? Never! It was secreted away out of general sight until after the war, when it was rapidly re-erected for the first race meeting, so that the Duke would not loose any proceeds from the Trundle.
How do I know this? About the time that the American Air Force took over Westhampnett emergency airfield, I was working for the Chichester Electricity Company. One of our jobs was to check all the lighting in the temporary buildings at Westerton, where many of the WAAF'S working on the various air stations were housed. This covered a very large area and included some in the grounds of Goodwood House. There, behind the stables, was stacked the mountain of iron railings from the Trundle enclosure.
We know that the last Duke was, in his younger days, a motor racing driver competing under the name of Frederick March. How convenient it was that the perimeter road round this and several other satellite airfields were of a satisfactory design for immediately being turned into motor race circuits after the war. Was it just coincidental, or were there people of influence, who saw the chance of making a few bob out of war proceeds?
Our walks through Stalk's Lane were curtailed by the war, as the airfield abutted it and it became a no go area. Once the war was over, however, this route again became available, until that is, the Duke saw himself losing another few bob. Many locals used this lane to get a free view of the proceedings of the races. The Duke could not stand the thought, so before long he erected a hessian screen to prevent people having a free view. Later he enlarged upon this by having the earth banked up to stop their gaze.
I see that there are plans now to re-start racing with un-silenced machines. I feel sorry for the nearby residents, as it was bad enough in the early days, and I see no reason to suppose that sound barriers will be successful.
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