Events

There is a special kind of magic that settles over West Sussex in the height of summer, where for one weekend, a narrow 1.17-mile ribbon of tarmac is transformed into the most revered stage in global motorsport. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a fleeting, three-minute visceral punch—a 304-foot ascent where the analytical mind takes a back seat to pure adrenaline, and I was invited to experience it for myself as the guest of Honda motorcycles.

The walls have ears at Trent Park, the former north London residence of Sir Philip Sassoon, one of the wealthiest men in England during the 1920s, a close friend of Winston Churchill and Royalty who had served as an MP and Under-Secretary of State for Air. This imposing former stately home also has an interesting Czech connection. 

Arrival: The Audi A5 S Line and the Finest Fifty Yards in Black Tie

International Women’s Day can be marked in many ways: flowers, speeches, panel discussions, social media posts. Maserati, however, chose something far more appropriate - handing a group of women the keys to several of its most powerful cars and inviting us to drive them at full throttle around the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit.

For me, Formula One likes to present itself as the pinnacle of global sport - and, to be fair, it makes a rather convincing case. Beneath the polished bravado lies not merely a championship contested across 24 race weekends, but a travelling circus of power, precision and very well-dressed ambition. Think theatre at 300 kilometres per hour, wrapped in carbon fibre and champagne mist, where innovation doubles as both weapon and currency, and reputations can be rebuilt - or very publicly unravelled - in the space of a single season.

If you are one of the many regular readers of International Excellence Magazine, you will already know that Goodwood Revival is one of my happiest annual fixtures: my spiritual tune-up for all things style, speed, and slightly obsessive attention to detail.

Arriving at Goodwood Revival this year felt like stepping into a real-life throwback filter—but one that actually smells of petrol, popcorn, and excitement, and sounds like pure engine chaos. From classic cars to people who look like they’ve time-travelled from the 1940s, it’s basically a full-sensory nostalgia overload, and I was here for every second of it.

Goodwood’s Three Friday Nights series has a well-earned reputation for blending top-class horse racing with live music and a lively, festival-style atmosphere. On this particular Friday, the headline act was none other than The Artful Dodger — the iconic UK garage duo — and they certainly delivered a soundtrack that had the crowd moving well into the evening. But while the music was the main draw for many, the night offered so much more: from thrilling on-track action to indulgent food and drink, all set against Goodwood’s picture-perfect backdrop.

We arrived at Kingston Airport Jamaica, and the first person we encountered was smiling from ear to ear and this set the tone of the entire trip. We found the locals to be warm, welcoming and always joyous. It is easy to understand why, Jamaica is simply stunning and more so thanks to the glorious weather. What’s not to love?

There are few things that mark the height of the British summer season quite like the Royal Charity Polo Cup at Guards Polo Club – particularly when HRH The Prince of Wales is playing a few lively chukkas and Audi is co-sponsoring the affair. And as someone whose heart (and garage) has long belonged to Audi, it was rather a full-circle moment.

From Walnut Veneer to Climate Control: My Audi Love Story