LETTER: Disresecptful Goodwood Revival visitors trampled land

To trample across a freshly-ploughed and seeded farmer’s field armed with expensive cameras and lenses ... what for? The Vulcan bomber due to appear at the Goodwood Revival on Saturday.

On Saturday afternoon, in excess of 60 cars parked on a country lane near Goodwood, on both sides of the road, causing a bottleneck for the legitimate traffic with visitors that HAD been bothered to buy tickets to see the event and displays.

I walked towards the group of people, shouting out the registration number of the car belonging to the selfish, thoughtless person who had blocked my gateway. One photographer started taking photos of me... fine go ahead, shoot away! One lady suggested they may be in there, and pointed to the field. I was totally aghast at the hundreds of people that had stomped all over the farmer’s freshly-ploughed field. What on earth did they think they were doing? The gate clearly states PRIVATE. I shouted across the gate telling people they weren’t supposed to be in there. Some of the people that heard me came out; most ignored me and stayed. I phoned the owner of the field and the police.

Top marks for the police who were there very quickly and very supportive, along with the farmer who had come to see the situation. The fields were totally inaccessible. When the driver blocking our gate did finally return to the offending vehicle, we did receive an apology, but what if we had had an emergency and needed an ambulance or fire engine?

What’s more astounding is that people were asking the police what all the fuss was about? What’s the fuss about? Seriously? My husband heard someone say ‘but it’s important!’ What? Stomping across private property to see an aeroplane? What was wrong with walking down the footpath, NOT galavanting across, or blocking access to property. What about the crops that are potentially planted in there? A livelihood impacted. That field cost money to tend. Haven’t people read about the plight that our British farmers are currently going through?

How would these selfish people like it if hundreds of people descended on their home, broke into the back garden and destroyed vegetables or prize roses that they rely on to provide an income? These people would then leave and not give the owner an apology. They would walk away and not pay for any damage caused notwithstanding risk and inconvenience.

What happened to respecting someone’s property? How dare they! If people are so desperate to see these things, why don’t they get their credit cards out of their wallets, that they’re clearly capable of using to buy long lenses. Do everyone a favour and buy a ticket! But they are so selfish that they don’t care if they inconvenience people. That arrogant, that they feel they can seriously impact somone’s livelihood or potentially put lives at risk?

It makes my blood boil. The irony? The Vulcan was cancelled.

Pam Clingan

Claypit Lane, Westhampnett