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Country mouse at the Goodwood Revival

Emma visits glorious Goodwood for their Revival

Country mouse, Country Life magazine
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When I left Sussex a decade ago to seek my fortune, I dreamt of one day returning in an E-type Jaguar. But never for a moment did I think it would actually happen. Electric blue and throatier than Shirley Bassey, the 1972 model I was purring around in was a car, as John Betjeman once said of Joan Hunter Dunn, to lean against for life.

Alas, it wasn't actually mine to keep. I was on my way to the Revival, Goodwood's annual paen to mid-century motor racing, as a guest of Jaguar. The company had loaned us vintage sets of wheels and advised us to come appropriately togged up in tweeds and trilbies. I was gratified by the admiring glances my ensemble seemed to be attracting, until I realised they were being directed at another member of our party-Dolce & Gabbana dreamboat David Gandy.

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Swing bands, gentlemen's outfitters, a cheese shop-so absorbing are the Revival's sideshows that you could easily spend a day there without seeing a single race. But where else could you watch a multi-million-pound cavalcade of cars roar past while tucking into homemade carrot cake? Truly, Goodwood is glorious.

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Emma Hughes lives in London and has spent the past 15 years writing for publications including the Guardian, the Telegraph, the Evening Standard, Waitrose Food, British Vogue and Condé Nast Traveller. Currently Country Life's Acting Assistant Features Editor and its London Life restaurant columnist, if she isn't tapping away at a keyboard she's probably taking something out of the oven (or eating it).