Restoration expert, Dominic Chinea joins Goodwood Revival line up

• TV’s Dominic Chinea set to headline sustainable crafts content at Goodwood Revival

Goodwood is thrilled to announce that Dominic Chinea will be headlining the Goodwood Revival’s Revive and Thrive heritage craft content, where workshops and demonstrations will share traditional upcycling wisdom through a modern lens.

Dominic is famous for bringing time-worn belongings back to life on a raft of popular television shows. Skilled enough to renovate ‘anything with wheels’, Dominic’s talents extend way beyond vehicle restoration to sign painting, metal work and set design, with previous clients including Rankin and Hunger Magazine. Dominic is also an expert salvage hunter and the author of Tools, A Visual History: The Hardware that Built, Measured and Repaired the World. A passionate advocate of heritage craftsmanship, Dominic embodies Goodwood’s Revive & Thrive ethos, electing to repair, repurpose and recycle second-hand belongings for a lifetime of use.

Held in the beautiful West Sussex countryside every September, Goodwood Revival is an immersive vintage experience set in period theme. Each year as we recreate the glamour and excitement that suffused the glory days of motor racing at Goodwood from 1948 to 1966, we revisit a time when people would ‘make do and mend’ cherished belongings for a lifetime of use.

In 2023, a packed schedule of Revive and Thrive demonstrations and workshop will embrace that strikingly relevant ethos, amplifying the voices of those with a passion for sustainable heritage crafts.

Dominic Chinea said: “I’m thrilled to be back at Goodwood Revival - I really want the Revive & Thrive Area to inspire people to have a go, and if not take up a craft, then appreciate and support those who do.”

The Duke of Richmond, founder of Goodwood Revival, said: “Dominic really exemplifies what we mean by ‘Revive & Thrive’, and has so many sustainable solutions to share with our visitors. He’s an authority on automotive restoration, of course, but also embodies the creativity, joy and excitement we celebrate at Revival.”

The rest of the stellar line-up of experts and influencers will be announced soon.

@DominicChinea

Q+A with Dominic Chinea

Why has championing heritage and endangered crafts become such a passion for you?

I have always had a passion for anything old, and the thought of crafts dying out or being forgotten is so sad. I guess it’s the romantic in me! With a lot of endangered crafts, we are at a critical point where the skills are being lost as the generation with the knowledge are aging without anyone to pass them onto. 

What is it you especially love about Goodwood Revival?

I love how the Revive & Thrive content encapsulates so many varied elements of both history and craft and skill. Whatever your initial interest or reason for visiting is - the cars, the fashion, or the history - there will be areas to satisfy that, as well as all sorts of other unique things to enjoy.  

What will you be up to on event?

I’m looking forward to meeting all the skilled craftspeople in the Revive & Thrive Area, discovering how and why they learnt their crafts and maybe having a go myself. I’ll also be sharing some of my own stories and exploring the event. And will hopefully catch a few races!

What are you working on at home in your own workshop at the moment?

As always, I have too many projects going on in my own workshop. I am restoring a Porsche 356A, which is little more than a sieve with an engine, and my Mother’s 55’ VW Oval, which has sadly sat in a shed for too long. I am also continuing work on reviving the Ranalah brand and hoping to spread the word as to how to use the wheeling machine. 

Do you also have a raft of upcycling projects to tinker on at home?

I live in an old house so there are constant projects both in the house and garden. I like to try and use as accurate historical methods as possible, such as learning how to roof with the traditional Kent pegs, and lime washing the walls. Gardening is a great escape from all the jobs, although there are a few restoration projects there, too - it’s about time to see if the old petrol mower will start after its winter hibernation!

If Revival visitors could takeaway just one message from Revival this year, what would you like it to be?

I think the most important question to ask yourself is, can you re-use something you already have? If you need to buy something new, can it also support a local maker or craft? And will it last and be good quality? The greatest power we have as a consumer is when and how we spend our money, so thinking about how your hard-earned cash might impact other people is always good.

-ENDS-