Goodwood: DJs, dancing & dressing up.

You probably know by now that, despite my age, I love "raving".  Nothing makes me happier than loud dance music DJ'd by a Famous where I can dance my socks off and forget my ageing bones!  Fortunately, one of my oldest school friends, Dalia, also loves dancing and, even more fortunately for me, she's a Goodwood Member of the Richmond Enclosure, which means we can have a rave night in total comfort!

Every year we go to one of the 'Three Friday Nights: The Ultimate South Coast Party.'  This year it was DJs Sigma on the night we went.  What makes the whole evening really special is... we get to dress up, eat in comfort in one of the restaurants, watch & bet on six races, and dance the night away outdoors to great music!  What's not to enjoy, especially this year on a perfect Summer's evening.

First stop was our usual eaterie at Goodwood, catered by Rhubarb. A lovely marquee restaurant where you can leave your coat, leave your champagne, break up your courses in between races and eat a, usually, delicious meal.  Sadly this year, Rhubarb's second year, the food was a real disappointment.  Way too much stodge.  Potato with asparagus, why?  More croquettes, that looked like bricks and didn't tasted much better, with tasteless, dry chicken. I don't know if the Chef had an off night but the food was so inferior to the previous two years that we'll be spending the rather hefty total somewhere else next year.  

However, the staff were absolutely lovely. Thank you Charlotte for getting a piece of chicken cooked to delicious perfection to prove the kitchen can get it right, with some guidance!! And Lauren who served us and remembered us from last year and Giselle the man in charge at the front, who was a delight.  The cheese board with lots of fizz made up for the rest of the disappointing meal as did watching the horses go by.

So now to what we wore for the day. It was a perfect summer's evening and we didn't need our coats till very late.  The great thing about these DJ nights is that you don't need to be ultra formal, unlike other Goodwood Races, and you don't need to wear a hat.

But of course we had both bought new dresses for the summer so were ecstatic that the weather that day made it possible for us to show them off!  Both of us are wearing one of our favourite designers, James Lakeland,  from Indigo in Chichester, another favourite haunt which sadly offered no discount at all after we bought three, expensive dresses between us. And we're both regulars.

(Top tip: always look on-line before you buy. Both of us, separately, found similar dresses, reduced, through James Lakeland's own site & a major department store site, after the event! Annoying to say the least.)

Dalia's sunglasses are Dior and her shoes are from Russell & Bromley.  She is SO Italian! And isn't that dress just gorgeous on her?

This is my second dress, suitable for a more dressed up summer, by James Lakeland,  I also have a summer coat by him. You can see the outfits on previous Friday nights here & here .  I just love the cut and look of his designs, there's often an interesting back, and they're so flattering for women of any age.

I am wearing my usual accessories:  a monochrome head scarf given to me by my Melbourne buddy Sharryn, The Stylish Woman on Instagram, the vintage sunnies are ones I've had for years, and the shoes - what about those shoes - I found in a store in Bangalow, Australia this year.  (I managed to totter around in them till the 4th race, and then we both put flats on!)

But of course Goodwood is all about the racing, as well as the fashion.  I put To Win and Each Way on a horse in the 5th race called I've Got the Power, and he won. Course he did with a name like that!  A £30 win so breakfast was on me the next day. 

The fashion at Goodwood this year wasn't spectacular...... no oldies in extraordinary outfits, as in previous years, and not a whole lot I rushed to photograph.  But as the light turned into that golden hour, I managed to find a few older & younger contestants who just looked gorgeous.

Finally, at 9.00 pm as it got darker and darker, Sigma did their stuff and we enjoyed a two hour dance fest, in our comfortable shoes, and stayed right to the very end!

Who says this kind of evening is just the reserve of the young? Not us, that's for sure. 

I do hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my summer madness with my school buddy Dalia.

As ever, I would love to hear from you.  Do you enjoy dancing?  Have you bought a summer dress this year only to find it cheaper elsewhere? Have you been to Goodwood?

See you soon,