A jubilant Anthony Reid was awarded the Members’ Meeting House Prize for the second year running on Sunday evening on behalf of all members of …Methuen House!
Anthony said his house’s winning total of 4988 points was testimony to all Methuen members’ weekend-long efforts, whether they were winning motor races, triumphing in the tug-of-war or kicking rugby conversions.
The house award was handed over by the ‘headmaster’ (that’s Lord March to us) at a special prizegiving in a packed Great Hall at the conclusion of racing on Sunday.
Aided by the governors, Lord March called on to the stage all winners of all races to receive their trophies as well as bottles of Goodwood Organic Ale (complete with sterling silver bottle tops). ‘Whether you open the bottles or not is entirely up to you,’ Lord March told the winners.
There were other awards too including one to Nick Padmore for the fastest time of the day – at 1min 18.21 seconds in his Lola T70 a new Goodwood lap record. ‘Jackie Stewart is no longer quickest around Goodwood,’ said Lord March. In recognition of his efforts Nick was awarded an IWC watch.
Nick Swift (memorable in that super-fast Mini in the Gerry Marshall Trophy) received a special award for hand gesture of the weekend – which, to everyone’s great delight, had been caught on camera and broadcast on the big screens. ‘It was brave of Goodwood to put a camera in my car,’ Nick told Lord March.
Derek Bell said it was a great honour to have a race named after him but that it might also mean he ‘was probably over the hill’. He also said it was ‘about time’ that Goodwood had an F3 race.
Winner of the favourite car in the car park award went to Malcolm Whitehead for his 1922 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Apparently for the second year running…
The only note of controversy at the prizegiving was raised by Emanuele Pirro, captain of Torbolton House. Emanuele said it was time for a review of how the house points are allocated. But then Torbolton did come fourth this year…
By this stage everyone had had another drink and amid general merriment and three cheers for Lord March (called for by Darnley captain Jochen Mass) all were ready to head off home after the 73rd Members’ Meeting and what everyone agreed had been a great success from beginning to end.
There was just one question left unanswered at the end of the day: just how did Lord March organise such perfect early spring sunshine?
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