68 replies to this topic

[john aston]

Another  thought about the Goodwood  commentary is that it is intended primarily for the people who have actually bought tickets and attended in person . For the reasons outlined above, reference to numbers is actually far more useful than names, as one can see at a glance who is where. The TV audience , unlike for modern F1 , is of secondary importance and , to be blunt,  can take what they're given from  the circuit live feed   .

 

As ever , TV concentrates on what they will insist on calling 'the battle for the lead' ,with lower placings being of diminishing importance - whereas live it can be the car in 19th place which offers the best spectacle. And therein lies one of the key shortcomings of TV coverage of non championship racing , at standalone events like Goodwood -   it thinks the audience cares about the results . TV not only often ignores most of the field, but even wastes everybody's time by showing the detailed results, down to thousandths of a second. Who cares ? I like to see a good scrap for the lead , but my good  memories of this year's MM are of the hugely sideways Bizzarini in No Name , the perfect proportions of a Tecno F3 car and that feral howl from Franchitti's GTO. Others will have entirely different memories, but they wont be confined to winners.   

 

Re internet coverage , the potshot Doug refers to my having taken was aimed at wherever the buck stops for ensuring it works. I assumed this was Goodwood itself, unless the local council decides that taxpayers money would benefit the event - which it might, of course, given how much income the area must receive from the event , if the cost of my own weekend is typical....      

[Doug Nye]

 This gets worse - "No Name" is to me a particularly grating abomination. That Goodwood right hander is the first element of the St Mary's ess-bend. The current sickeningly common tag is another commentator's invention which has gained traction since the Revival Meeting began.  It's even worse than "Bomb Hole" at Snetterton and Lord knows that is bad enough (to me).  And while I'm on this high horse - though poised (realistically) to be knocked off it - the current general media use of "battleship" when meaning "warship" is yet another.

 

Baaah - Humbug (even if I am in a minority of one).

 

DCN 

[john aston]

Peccavi , as we say in Thirsk. As  a latecomer to Goodwood - 1999 - I am guilty only of repeating what I've heard and read from Goodwood regulars . So I crave forgiveness . Anonymous or not , it's a bloody great corner, if apparently far too long a walk for many Goodwood dilettantes . Maybe their tweed fancy dress outfits slow them down ?    

 

Far worse than battleship( poor form though that undoubtedly is )  is the ghastly trend of calling any piece of saltwater 'The ocean '  ,which is  made worse by the 'the'  often being pronounced 'Thuh' rather than 'thee' .This makes the speaker sound under eight years old  .  The blue stuff off the west coast of Ireland is the ocean, but the muddy stuff east of Harwich  ? Nah .  

Edited by john aston, 20 April 2022 - 08:10.

[Vitesse2]

 

Far worse than battleship( poor form though that undoubtedly is )  is the ghastly trend of calling any piece of saltwater 'The ocean '  ,which is  made worse by the 'the'  often being pronounced 'Thuh' rather than 'thee' .This makes the speaker sound under eight years old  .  The blue stuff off the west coast of Ireland is the ocean, but the muddy stuff east of Harwich  ? Nah .  

I blame that Stanley Holloway.

 

They didn't think much to the ocean,

The waves they were fiddlin' and small.

There was no wrecks and nobody drownded -

In fact nothin' to laugh at at all ...

[BRG]

 This gets worse - "No Name" is to me a particularly grating abomination. That Goodwood right hander is the first element of the St Mary's ess-bend.

I have never known it given any name and I agree 'No-name' is horrible.  But calling it 'the right hander element of the St Mary's ess-bend' is a bit of a mouthful, especially for a TV commentator  describing hectic racing.  Presumably, had TV coverage been more extensive back in the heyday of Goodwood, it would have been given a name?  

 

The obvious name for it would be rather bad taste though given his accident there.  So I would favour naming after local hero Derek Bell.  

 

Far worse than battleship( poor form though that undoubtedly is )  is the ghastly trend of calling any piece of saltwater 'The ocean '  ,which is  made worse by the 'the'  often being pronounced 'Thuh' rather than 'thee' .This makes the speaker sound under eight years old  .  The blue stuff off the west coast of Ireland is the ocean, but the muddy stuff east of Harwich  ? Nah .  

I find the concept of someone from Yorkshire pontificating on other people's pronunciation of English rather amusing.  

[Charlieman]

On the matter of internet coverage - Goodwood remains a relatively rural location - and the easily overwhelmed net capacity in that part of Sussex, though actually improved in recent years, is beyond even Goodwood's control.  So rather than taking a pot shot at the Estate such criticism should be aimed at whatever coverage authority is responsible these days.

Err, not entirely. I've helped organise several big events (eg BA Festival of Science) so I understand some of the problems.

 

We have to separate the public internet (5G mobile phone or similar in the outdoors), Goodwood's private wi-fi and wired network, and any private internet access shared by Goodwood (eg wi-fi for competitors, suppliers and press). The Goodwood private network is evidently served by a responsive reliable connection to external data centres. The public internet -- access for phones and tablets on the whole -- will be scaled for big events such as car and horse racing, but the service quality agreements will acknowledge less than 100% access and a bit of lag. Rather like road capacity in cities, as soon as it is increased, something gobbles it up.

 

I'd expect all or nearly all of the organisational infrastructure to be covered by the private network. Maybe a few outposts are required to use the public internet for non-essential purposes. Unfortunately, catering facilities may fall into this use category. The nature of retail transactions, frequent and fast, isn't suited to mobile phone infrastructure under heavy load. The options are to run a long cable or to use line-of-sight wi-fi or microwave. Essentially it's about economics and geography, unless a bright spark comes up with a smart solution.

[Doug Nye]

I have never known it given any name and I agree 'No-name' is horrible.  But calling it 'the right hander element of the St Mary's ess-bend' is a bit of a mouthful, especially for a TV commentator  describing hectic racing.  Presumably, had TV coverage been more extensive back in the heyday of Goodwood, it would have been given a name?  

 

 

In this context I have always thought there isn't much wrong with "Entering St Mary's"...  or "approaching St Mary's" - or even just "at St Mary's".  The last title covers about 250-280 yards of track, but that would be less than is covered by "Burnenville" at the old Spa, or indeed by 'Blanchimont' on the current Spa.  

 

"No name" was a solution deemed nececessary only by the unknowing, and those who just didn't think or bother to ask.  

 

Of course it could be argued that both Burnenville and Blanchimont are just one-way/effectively single-apex turns rather than two-way, two-apex turns such as St Mary's - but that would lead me to Adenau Forst ess or the Pflanzgarten wriggle at Nürburgring - or even the Variantes at modern Monza - similar portions of lap length of the true right-left St Mary's.  "

 

"No Name" indeed. Ugh!

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 20 April 2022 - 15:58.

[wheadon1985]

Err, not entirely. I've helped organise several big events (eg BA Festival of Science) so I understand some of the problems.

 

We have to separate the public internet (5G mobile phone or similar in the outdoors), Goodwood's private wi-fi and wired network, and any private internet access shared by Goodwood (eg wi-fi for competitors, suppliers and press). The Goodwood private network is evidently served by a responsive reliable connection to external data centres. The public internet -- access for phones and tablets on the whole -- will be scaled for big events such as car and horse racing, but the service quality agreements will acknowledge less than 100% access and a bit of lag. Rather like road capacity in cities, as soon as it is increased, something gobbles it up.

 

I'd expect all or nearly all of the organisational infrastructure to be covered by the private network. Maybe a few outposts are required to use the public internet for non-essential purposes. Unfortunately, catering facilities may fall into this use category. The nature of retail transactions, frequent and fast, isn't suited to mobile phone infrastructure under heavy load. The options are to run a long cable or to use line-of-sight wi-fi or microwave. Essentially it's about economics and geography, unless a bright spark comes up with a smart solution.

 

At all Goodwood event, hillclimb and circuit, we are hard wired in the race admin office. Good speeds and it never drops but is obviously a temporary network considering we work out of the large marquee structure behind the assembly area. I'm suspecting this is a satellite connection and not plugged into the local exchange. 

[sabrejet]

And while I'm on this high horse - though poised (realistically) to be knocked off it - the current general media use of "battleship" when meaning "warship" is yet another.

 

Baaah - Humbug (even if I am in a minority of one).

 

DCN 

 

Glad it's not just me: Back in 1982 when the Navy taskforce returned from the Falkland Islands, the BBC interviewed the wife of a matelot who had gone to the docks to meet her husband. She began with, "My hubby serves on a battleship...". And even at this distance I recall thinking, "I bet he doesn't".

[AJCee]

And while I'm on this high horse - though poised (realistically) to be knocked off it - the current general media use of "battleship" when meaning "warship.

DCN

While the subject is live can I add almost any AFV being described as a tank…

[Charlieman]

At all Goodwood event, hillclimb and circuit, we are hard wired in the race admin office. Good speeds and it never drops but is obviously a temporary network considering we work out of the large marquee structure behind the assembly area. I'm suspecting this is a satellite connection and not plugged into the local exchange. 

Thanks. You said "hard wired" which is a helpful description: conventionally meaning a piece of cable connecting to a room with chassis showing blinking lights. Some of the kit might be plugged by a wiggly link to a Goodwood cable, or indirectly via wi-fi. It might be a temporary space but it is permanent infrastructure used regularly. 

 

Satellite internet comms are unlikely. As one of my contrary former colleagues put it, I can explain this but you won't necessarily understand it  .

 

When a satellite broadcasts a signal, it's like a radio station in space. In order to communicate further, to establish a conversation, you have to talk directly to the satellite. Handshaking. Making a low speed connection. People who get their internet by satellite rely on another connection to send handshaking. 

 

The local exchange? It must be about an ambitious comms link for Goodwood, rather than dependency on "normal" infrastructure.

[doc knutsen]

In this context I have always thought there isn't much wrong with "Entering St Mary's"...  or "approaching St Mary's" - or even just "at St Mary's".  The last title covers about 250-280 yards of track, but that would be less than is covered by "Burnenville" at the old Spa, or indeed by 'Blanchimont' on the current Spa.  

 

"No name" was a solution deemed nececessary only by the unknowing, and those who just didn't think or bother to ask.  

 

Of course it could be argued that both Burnenville and Blanchimont are just one-way/effectively single-apex turns rather than two-way, two-apex turns such as St Mary's - but that would lead me to Adenau Forst ess or the Pflanzgarten wriggle at Nürburgring - or even the Variantes at modern Monza - similar portions of lap length of the true right-left St Mary's.  "

 

No Name" indeed. Ugh!

 

DCN

I think "the first part of St Mary's" should work well, and for the benefit of the younger parts of the audience, the commentators might mention that it is where Moss' top line career ended, back in 1962. Not everyone in the crowd is a seasoned veteran. My sixty-some cousin, who came with me to the MM, only discovered the sport in the Senna era, and he absorbs every parts of the sport's history with great enthusiasm, and often as not, a myriad of further questions. Just yesterday, he sent me a b/w photo he had found of the Lotus wreck, and asked for details of how and why the accident happened .Yes, Sir Stirling's name is known and revered still, even in Scandinavia, some sixty years after the Easter Monday accident.

Edited by doc knutsen, 20 April 2022 - 14:20.

[john aston]

I have never known it given any name and I agree 'No-name' is horrible.  But calling it 'the right hander element of the St Mary's ess-bend' is a bit of a mouthful, especially for a TV commentator  describing hectic racing.  Presumably, had TV coverage been more extensive back in the heyday of Goodwood, it would have been given a name?  

 

The obvious name for it would be rather bad taste though given his accident there.  So I would favour naming after local hero Derek Bell.  

 

I find the concept of someone from Yorkshire pontificating on other people's pronunciation of English rather amusing.  

 St Mary's In and  St Mary's Out ? 

 

You're from Surrey, right? With a Scottish dad , an Australian mum and some of my life spent in Lincolnshire  my West Riding accent has picked up a pot pourri of influences  - I find I can even make myself understood in Godalming. Not that I'd be rushing to visit , like.  . 

[ensign14]

 St Mary's In and  St Mary's Out ?

Gabriel and Jesus?

[BRG]

I find I can even make myself understood in Godalming. Not that I'd be rushing to visit , like.  . 

A nice little town.  Very historic with some lovely old buildings.  I am sure they would be pleased to see you.

 

Did you know that the wireless operator on the 'Titanic' was from Godalming, as was the founder of the US state of Georgia?

[cpbell]

Peccavi , as we say in Thirsk. As  a latecomer to Goodwood - 1999 - I am guilty only of repeating what I've heard and read from Goodwood regulars . So I crave forgiveness . Anonymous or not , it's a bloody great corner, if apparently far too long a walk for many Goodwood dilettantes . Maybe their tweed fancy dress outfits slow them down ?    

 

Far worse than battleship( poor form though that undoubtedly is )  is the ghastly trend of calling any piece of saltwater 'The ocean '  ,which is  made worse by the 'the'  often being pronounced 'Thuh' rather than 'thee' .This makes the speaker sound under eight years old  .  The blue stuff off the west coast of Ireland is the ocean, but the muddy stuff east of Harwich  ? Nah .  

In Norfolk, they used to call that muddy stuff to our east the "German Ocean", pronounced "Jarmun O-shun".

Edited by cpbell, 20 April 2022 - 19:59.

[Doug Nye]

 

 

Did you know that the wireless operator on the 'Titanic' was from Godalming, as was the founder of the US state of Georgia?

 

Town poorly rated locally - not least for being the seat of our despised local council - these two were evidently desperate to escape it.  

 

DCN

[RS2000]

Home of the esteemed Gartrac in the day.
I also answered a Motoring News advert for a set of Cooper S brakes, which I needed to convert my 998 Cooper, which took me to a Godalming town centre garage where I had to take them off an old rusty Mini Van which had a previous owner's name on the side : Tyrrell Racing Organisation.

[Doug Nye]

Happy news is that Frazer Nash driver Paul Waine has been released from hospital and I believe is back home after his awful crash at St Mary's.  I wish him and his family all best for the future. His survival after the car landed upon his chest surely speaks volumes for the quality of immediate medical intervention on circuit, during transport to hospital, and thereafter...

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 28 April 2022 - 18:12.