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Ever since looking into buying the Dirtbag and consequently looking through your build thread, your photography has been top notch, the photo's in thread are stunning! Well done sir, awesome thread. THE best thread I've read, period. That's really kind of you to say. I've never been that great at writing (got a grade 'C' for English language and a 'D' for literature) but I just try and describe things how I see them. I'd much sooner be pointing a camera at things. Thanks again though. Grinning from ear to ear reading this. Then I saw the speedo on each pic. Grin got wider There were times, somehow, I can't think how, we ended up going a LOT faster. Long, long open roads where you can see for a few miles and a car that will only take the horizon for an answer makes for a ridiculous combination. This car would be an utter waste most places. Most of these cars are wasted when I think how few must have this sort of environment as their playground. Or an owner like Scott who is more than happy to have an imperfect looking car if it means he can really use it. And boy does he use it. Is the kind of phrasing which most people dream of. Seeing the condition of the paint on this car, it made me think how many people would weep at the way it looks in the flesh, but that only enhances the true nature of the car. Marisa Tomei without her makeup. Honest, natural, stunning beauty without the need to cover it with hours of Max Factor and L'Oreal. Real. I'm not really an impact bumper 911 person but that one is awesome. The writing and pictures bring it to life. As time has gone on and as I've got older, I've definitely become more fond of the 'long hood' early cars. But the impact bumper cars will always have a special place in my heart, I guess growing up with them as the icons of that era has cemented that in my mind. 10 minutes pass and Scott starts cursing that she's not going to come, when coming over the crest of the hill we see the familiar shape and colour of the family Corolla. A few moments later Yvonne pulls up behind the 911. Now, I'm going to let you into a little secret here. You know when you see photos of cars moving at speed through the landscape? Fast motion shots in magazines and on billboards? They aren't done with big fancy cars with expensive kit. There aren't any magical tricks. There aren't any helicopters flying alongside. There aren't even super fast cars that can match the speed of the vehicle being photographed. Not in Bruce's world at any rate. What they have in my world is a battered, beaten, burgundy 1992 Corolla estate. A family car with copious amounts of dog hair, straw/hay and shopping bags in the boot. A 5'2" woman peering over the steering wheel with her seat as far forward as possible. And a 2yr old toddler asleep in her baby seat in the back. One rear seat folded down, a leg wrapped in one of the seatbelts as a nod to the gods of health and safety. And the driver under strict instructions to prove to her husband that her $500 shopping car is faster than his 500bhp Porsche. Now, THAT'S how you do tracking cars in Canada. I'll tell you something right now, that woman really did surprise me with how she can nail a Corolla through the gears. My money would definitely be on her for the Mumsnet GP. I was genuinely glad my token seatbelt harness was installed....she was fast enough off the mark for me to actually need it! And before you think I'm making all this up, here is a shot I took by complete accident (and didn't even know about until I loaded the photos onto my computer) - this proves how hi-tech my photography methods are. And I think this was taken at a speed faster than even Toyota will admit their cars will go. Porsche should be worried! I really regret not actually getting a shot of my amazing tracking car, especially with the comedy sight of Yvonne peeking out from behind the wheel and little Gracie completely oblivious in the back seat. What I can do instead is show you how effective a combination of Corolla and Yvonne can be: When we pull over I'm pretty worried because Yvonne is very quiet. I release my leg from its 3 point Vulcan grip and climb out to see if she's OK? (especially as she's never done anything like this before). She's sat there in silence with the biggest grin ever on her face, "Can we do it again? Please? That was so much fun!" I'm not one to deliberately upset a woman....and with that she spins the car around and we head back towards the bridge once more time .....and even faster!!! By now even Gracie is awake and squealing with sheer delight as we absolutely fly across the bridge! What a moment to be hanging out the back of this car. Absolutely UNFORGETTABLE!!
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After a few shots: "How far is your house from here?" "About 10 mins" "Cool, ring Yvonne [Scott's wife] and tell her to get over here" "Errr....OK!" To be continued...... As long as she's not gonna get in the way of the pictures of the car - I'm OK with that Just trust me on this one.
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Business done in Calgary, we start heading back to the farm. Via the long way, of course. ...and then run into problems. The fuel relay pops and we have to pull over. Apparently this is an ongoing problem that Scott is trying to get to the bottom of, "The legacy of a highly tuned 80s engine" he says pragmatically while fitting one of the spare relays he keeps 'in case'. Then we're off again! ERMAHGERD PERP ERP LERGHTS!!!!!! As we crest the horizon, I break out into the most almighty grin, "Scott, we've got to pull over here, this is awesome!" "Why, this is just an old bridge" "JUST PULL OVER MAN!!" After a few shots: "How far is your house from here?" "About 10 mins" "Cool, ring Yvonne [Scott's wife] and tell her to get over here" "Errr....OK!" To be continued......
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I'll leave it at that, with apologies to Bruce for the small hijack, I hope I can be forgiven. Absolutely nothing to forgive, in fact it's great to see other stories of cars and car owners. I have to say I'm quite partial to a Countach ever since I spent some time photographing and drawing one when I was 17 - a 1989 Countach reg F924 OYR owned by a guy just outside of Bristol who also owned quite a collection of other such cars. Such bonkers cars. I see yours is a 25th Anniversary. Would love to see that in the flesh sometime. Thanks for sharing.
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We've established that this car is an 80s icon, my dream poster car and a genuine supercar from its day. So what else is special about this car? Well, it's got just over 500bhp. And it's used. When I say used, I don't mean driven once in a while, I mean used. It's pretty much daily driven apart from when Scott needs to use his massive Toyota Tundra. It gets driven hard....and the environemnt around these parts can be harsh on a car. The access track from the farm to the nearest blacktop is over a mile of course gravel. Many of the roads in this part of Alberta are gravel. As you can see from the photo above, this takes its toll on the car. But that is of no consequence, this is not a car to be molly coddled and wrapped in cotton wool, to be polished constantly and then gingerly driven to the nearest Cars & Coffee. This car is to be enjoyed and it very much is enjoyed. Detailers of the world, look away now: You could stick a stylus from a record player in those swirls and it would play you the story of this car. Garage queen this is not. We head out onto tarmac and Scott stabs the pedal and within an instant, that horizon line is now somewhere behind us. The most important bit of kit in this car, after the gauges, is the radar scanner. I'm just way too busy enjoying myself to care if there are cops around, I just want to feel that turbo punch me hard time after time. But Scott is very conscious of how easily this car can land him in trouble and the scanner removes one layer of that concern. It gives him the opportunity to enjoy the car as well without too much worry of smokey being hidden over the next crest. We've got an hours drive into Calgary, but it soon becomes apparent that this will take us just over half that time. Probably the best illustration I can give is this sequence of three photos, all taken on 'continuous' which is a like burst mode on a phone. These three shots were taken in approx half a second (I've checked the metadata and they are all within the same second) - gives some idea of the sort of pace we were making... Holding the camera out of the sunroof at this kind of speed means having to hold onto it damn hard! I'm amazed those photos even came out semi sharp! This car is an absolute hooligan! So raw, so brutal, so eager to keep building speed. It's so hard to explain. I was expecting something more refined having spent so many years imagining them driving but this has no frills or fancy bits, it really is focused. Aside from the electric windows and sunroof, you'd never really believe you're in something so iconic....it almost feels 'base spec' compared to how you'd imagine but this just goes to show how focused these cars really are and how the celebrity status is a by product rather than the means for their existence. Spending time with this car really made me appreciate how much of a drivers car they really are and Scott fully understands this. Going fast, as they are supposed to, is far more important than sorting out the stone chips and making it look perfect. And that, in a nutshell, makes this car pretty much perfect in my eyes. We hit the main roads in a very short time ....and I realise that we're pretty much in Calgary. The journey had left me completely filled with adrenaline. And speechless. This car was amazing!
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nope, I know what it is though, but I'll let Bruce post. Looks like a dropsnoot to me... You're correct (you were correct to begin with ) I think it's just that they are normally referred to as 'slant nose' or 'flat nose' (there is a proper German name like 'flachbau' or something?) and I'm guessing Welshpug thought you might have been referring to the Vauxhall variety? I knew what you meant.
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Wind the clock back to 1983 and a (much younger) Bruce has an Athena poster on this bedroom wall. This poster was chosen with care. Probably about three, maybe four, visits to Athena while methodically narrowing down and deciding which particular print I wanted to spend my limited pocket money on. It would be my first ever poster and I had to choose wisely, I didn't have the kind of pocket money to splash out on another if I changed my mind or decided this one wasn't really the best one out there. I can remember it like it was only yesterday. It was a big thing for me, the first foray into personalising my room beyond the decor, fixtures and furniture decided upon by my parents. It was a huge thing. Flicking through the poster rack until my chosen print appeared, paying for it and guarding it with my life on the bus journey home from Bromley so as not to get it dented or creased in its tightly clinging cellophane wrapper. Carefully unrolling it, then reverse rolling it to help remove the tendency to try and roll itself up again. Then, that moment when I put it up. THERE IT WAS - my first ever poster and my first genuine foray into becoming the petrolhead I am today. I made the right choice and testament to that was how it remained, on its own, on that wall for four years before it had to share space with another poster. in 1987 it was joined, not replaced. But in that four year period, this poster was my sole desire. Thirty two years later, I'm stood in a field in Canada looking at the living embodiment of that actual car. Not one similar, but the same model, the same colour. It's hard to explain what that feels like to have dreamed into my teenage years about a certain car and here was an identical one just sat there. No airbrushed backdrop, no studio effect reflections....just THE car and me. I was genuine overwhelmed to be stood in front of a genuine supercar, a bonafide poster car. My first ever hero car! The masses of stonechips acrtoss the front, the brakedust covered slightly corroded wheels, swirl marks in the paint and odd dent here & there did not detract one little bit from the picture I had carried in my mind all those many years. In fact, this was even better. Here I could walk around it, see it from any angle I wished. I could touch it. Actually run my hand over the bodywork. I know I'm banging on a bit, but it really is impossible to put into words how 'real world' this felt. Like your dream movie star climbing out of your TV screen and standing there in front of you. My first ever automotive desire just sat there before me in all its glory and it did not disappoint. Not one little bit. This, to me, is truly the definition of living the dream. Here was the living dream. And in the morning I was going to be spending a day with it. I don't think any Christmas Eve, ever, has been so exciting. Sleep would not be easy.
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Hmmm....memories of 75p hotdogs and bottomless drinks! If the UK Costco ones are the same, I think I'll be trying to get myself a card. My first full day in Calgary is nearly over, I've had a tour of the farm, I've browsed the collection of fine automobiles in the long grass, I've pottered, I've tinkered and generally tried to keep things a bit less frantic than most of the trip so far (that didn't actually happen, but we can always try!) My faithful friend has followed me everywhereScott's son, Clayton (Clay) tries on his new race overalls. He's into everything; dirt bikes, go karts, you name it. I ask Scott how he feels about blasting around the farm on a dirt bike at the age of seven, "Well, he broke his arm when he crashed into some fencing recently, he's learnt to be more careful next time". And this, in a nutshell, sums up great parenting to me. Don't wrap them in cotton wool, let them get out there and explore, try things out. Scott mentions that the best toy he could ever give them is the front door. "I kick them out of it every day and they just play, explore, it's the best playground you could ever have". Watching Clay, and two year old Gracie, climb over wrecked cars, on top of hay bales, playing football on really rough ground in bare feet....these kids have the best chance of being sound, together and well balanced when they are older. Sure, they have access to an iPad and computer, but they are generally left indoors untouched while the great outdoors gives them far more than any computer screen can. It was heartwarming to spend time with this family. As another day draws to a close, I find myself, once again, stood watching the sunset. I love this place, the feeling of space, the feeling of freedom (not in any tacky Braveheart sense) and the way in which the everyday troubles of life that I allow to wear me down back at home all seem, now, to be irrelevant. Perspective. Something I hope to remember when I return home. A genuine life lesson. Deep. meaningful thoughts are put aside and I allow myself just to be consumed with the beautiful view. ...and a hint of what is to come. Tomorrows adventure is already teasing me than anything Chaka Demus & Pliers could ever do!
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Nov 30, 2015 20:20:59 GMT
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Many thanks everyone for the nominations. Pretty blown away to be honest! Car Of The Year: Are we allowed to choose cars outside of RR? If so, it's got to be Mike Boroughs 'Rusty'. A car that has divided opinions since pretty much day one....and then comes back from nowhere and blows everything out of the water. The definition of Retro Rides to me; reinventing itself many times and getting people to question everything. New Thread Of The Year - Community Person Of The Year: camerashy - the guy opens up his home and takes in a someone he's never met before from the other side of the world, then shows him all the retro stuff you could handle. Amazing guy. Best Media: Petrolicious - amazing & enjoyable videos, great content, I always look forward to seeing their latest film making exploits. Wonderful stuff! Event Of The Year: Players Classic - Great location, amazing mix of cars, just a fantastic event. Readers Other Modifications - Most Anticipated 2016: Camerashy's Datsun 240Z - I've followed the progress of this car since the beginning, I've always enjoyed the thread, the updates. I've now seen it in the flesh, met the owner and also think (hope) it'll be on the road in 2016. I cannot wait. I'll update the other two once I've had more of a think about them.
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Nov 30, 2015 19:51:53 GMT
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Most fun small hatchback I've ever had: Not the fastest thing, but smiles per £ are about as good as they get. Economical too. And pretty practical. Also pretty reliable. In fact, now I want another one!!
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Nov 29, 2015 22:40:17 GMT
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Scott, it appears, likes his fair share of Stuttgart's finest. OK, so they're looking more than a bit sorry for themselves, but that's still a fairly impressive collection of them. These two have both suffered engine fires. The Targa, a very example of an impact bumper model, is basically a parts car. A lot has already been picked off, but there's more to come. Fire damage = character. Right? If that's the case, it's got plenty of character. Just like in the yard outside Restoration Design, there is a real inner beauty in derelict Porsches. Well, I think so anyway. The car next to the Targa? It's had wide arches grafted on at some point. An 80s throwback when all 911s had to look like the Turbo to be accepted. No wide flares, no credibility. It's currently more of a store for other 911 panels. It's literally filled with them. Some GRP, some genuine steel widebody parts.... Even spilling out onto the ground in front of the car. As said, this isn't the reason I'm actually here. But it's certainly part of the story. I've come all the way across the Atlantic to buy a Porsche (that side of the story, as you know, is pretty much complete) but while I'm here, I may as well get to see more of the Porsche culture of Canada. Even if it means flying 1,500 miles to a desolate place just to get another fix. Obviously there is more to this Calgary thing than a handful of parts cars in a field on a farm.
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Nov 29, 2015 22:29:15 GMT
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OK, so they aren't exactly in roadgoing condition, let alone anywhere near concours, but what a lineup! The 911: green powered. The engine donated to another cause some time in the past. There's not a massive amount left of it, but what is left is pretty solid. Surprisingly so... So what's that in the undergrowth next to it? Obvious really. But, hang on, what's that the other side of the sea can? Interesting. It would seem that having some old cars dotted around the place, like a lot of farms do, isn't enough for Scott. He has to have a set of Porsches!
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Nov 29, 2015 21:48:37 GMT
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^THIS^
And even though I've really enjoyed reading it through and feeling like I've been part of the trip too (thanks to your great words and photos detailing, literally, everything) the best bit is that I can read through it again anytime. Something I know I'll be doing for sure.
It's been a journey for us, the readers, and I can only imagine how awesome every aspect of it really was. Thanks for putting it all down so that many more people can enjoy it for many more years to come.
Thoroughly enjoyable from starts to, reluctant, finish.
Thanks again Dude.
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Nov 29, 2015 21:37:20 GMT
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Afterwards we get to meet him where I have a quick chat with him and get my invite card signed ( rmad, this is for you BTW....I can't think of anyone more worthy of owning it) Really? Really. I'll try and remember to bring it with me in a week or so when I will, hopefully, be in your area for 'round 2' Now, the big problem you always to have when you've got lots of space is that you tend to fill it. Luckily I don't have lots of space, but Scott does. Hundreds of acres of the stuff. Most of this is given to crops and livestock but a good few acres makes up the core of the farm. This is where the house is sited along with a lot of garden area for the kids to play in. Around this are various shipping containers (or, as they are called in Canada, 'sea cans'...I LOVE that term!) scattered about, some grain silos, a large corrugated steel barn/workshop and various other buildings and containers to give the whole area a sense of purpose. Nothing fancy, just function. Utility. Necessity. Luckily there is so much space here that all the buildings and structures, that would otherwise make the place feel crowded, are spread far enough apart that you never feel penned in. Not at all. This also gives plenty of opportunity to 'fill in the blanks'. In this case, Scott is a bit of a petrolhead, so as well as having bales of hay or farm implelments dotted between buildings, he also has the odd one or two cars. I was so taken with the old Ford trucks that I wanted to ask if he'd consider selling one. Luckily he informed me of his plans before I could open my mouth. One is solid, original, but missing the engine and running gear, plus a few other key parts. The second one is rotten, but has all the parts needed for the first one. You can see where this is going? Luckily, the solid one is the truck with the super cool Case livery. An original company truck this has survived really well and will be 'restored' but will also maintain the external appearance exactly as is. Perfect! I SO wanted to buy this truck but also feel really happy with the picture of it tooling around Scott's farm with Roxy in the back and the kids on the bench seat. Being part of this farm, this family, will be far greater than any life it would have back in the UK. My own selfish feelings aside, I couldn't think of a better place for this truck. Next to the old Ford was this Corvette. It was Scott's first car and was only put out here a few years ago "I'm getting another sea can soon, so this will go in it. It's a piece of sh*t but I can't bear to part with it so it can wait its turn and I'll restore it one day. I kinda hate it, but know I'll never forgive myself if I sell it on" I did feel sorry for it. I know there's not a huge amount of love for C3 Corvettes in general, but I actually like them and this one, being an anniversary model, is pretty rare. Dare I say desirable. I 'would'. Oh yeah, see the car next to it? I bet you were all wondering why I'd flown all the way out to Calgary to sleep in a trailer on a farm in the middle of nowehere? Well, this isn't why I'm here. Sure, it's a Porsche, but it's certainly not the reason I'm here. Deal with it.
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Nov 29, 2015 15:38:42 GMT
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I am so pleased you made it to meet Chip Foose. (You failed to mention how you got that one done) Weird that we both go on road trips and manage to meet some of our heroes. Make your own luck ehhhh? The weird thing is, I knew nothing about the whole Chip Foose thing until I'd landed in Calgary - Scott kind of sprung it on me as a surprise! We'd talked a lot on the phone prior to my arrival and I'm guessing he'd figured quite early on in our chats that I was a petrolhead through & through, so I assume he thought it would be something I'd enjoy? He was right! The next morning I awoke after a night of heavy rain. The ground was fairly waterlogged but that didn't dampen my spirits...the sky was already starting to brighten a bit and the weather was looking a bit more promising than the downpour a few hours ago. This was the view from my trailer. Nothing to complain about here. No one else was up yet, it was very early and my body clock was still all over the place so I decided to have a wander around the place. "What He Found Next Will Amaze You"
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No flash in any of them - Please tell me you are using a Leica. 100% no flash, I didn't even take one with me. Not a Leica, but a Canon 5D and the trusty 24-70 lens for pretty much 99% of the shots. Plus a smattering of phone photos to fill in a couple of the many, many blanks. Like the last two shots and the two on the cutting mat below. So, here is a super blurry shot of my accomodation. I'm sure there would be plenty of people who would kick up a huge fuss if they were relegated to a car transporter trailer in a field, but I was in my element. I mean, I fly across the world then across the continent to get to sleep in a race car trailer. The sound of the coyotes at night, the owls, the cattle, the crickets....just incredible. Basic, very basic but cosy, back to basics petrolhead perfection. Within, quite literally, minutes of arriving at Scott's place, I've not even unpacked or had chance to change clothes yet and we're back in his Toyota pickup blasting (yes, blasting....it's a 5.7 litre V8 Tundra, this thing can pick up it's cast iron petticoat and haul ass!) along the desolate roads back towards Calgary. The destination? Calgary Heritage ParkMore accurately, the museum halls within the park. We're running slightly late so I don't get much time to see any of the rest of the park, but I hear it's amazing. We head into the grand museum hall and I immediately think of grizz - he would be in his element here. I didn't get chance to snap any photos, but here are some from the interwebz to give you an idea: And the reason we're here? To dine on fine food, see some great automotive history. Oh, and to meet this guy: I'd only been off the plane a handful of hours and I'm already eating a full on banquet then getting to meet an automotive legend! Maybe not to everyones taste, there's no denying this guy deserves the credit and applause he receives? We are there a few hours as Chip gives a talk covering his history with cars, including a very frank (and at times quite emotional) account of his relationship with Boyd Coddington and an insight into where he's going now. Afterwards we get to meet him where I have a quick chat with him and get my invite card signed ( rmad, this is for you BTW....I can't think of anyone more worthy of owning it) .....and then depart before the official end because it's been a long day and there's still an hours drive home yet. I'm super, super tired but my whirlwind introduction to Calgary is off to a great start. It gets even better when we pull up to the house and are greeted with this sight: Stunning. Breathtaking. My photos really do not do this setting justice, the colours and just the sheer size of the skyline is overwhelming in the flesh. I don't know how it works, or why, but the whole 'big sky' thing really is true....you have to experience it to understand. Just beautiful. I stand there, absolutely shattered, but in sheer awe at the sight of the sun gradually dipping down behind the Rockies way over in the distance. I stand there just staring in wonder until there is no light left but that from the stars. The blanket of night is now covering the area and the silver light from those pinholes in the curtain of night give a magical effect in this big sky. I stand there even longer just taking it all in. About an hour later, it's only the cold that draws me in to the cosy comfort of my trailer. I'd flown 1,500 miles, got to see the city and countryside of Alberta, meet Chip Foose and also met a lovely family who had let this complete stranger from England stay on their farm. Sleep came easily. Tomorrow, I knew, was going to be amazing.
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Nov 28, 2015 23:50:52 GMT
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oh, and you know youve run out of place names when gladys and janet are places and not your actual neighbours.... There's also a road called.....Road. Seriously! Amazing place.
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Nov 28, 2015 23:26:28 GMT
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On the steps to the house to greet me (just visible in the previous photo) are Gracie (2) and Roxy (the dog). Roxy is of unknown origin but she is fiercely protective, totally loyal and also, at the same time, besotted with her new friend from England. I was warned on the journey from Calgary airport to the remote 'boonies' of Alberta that I should be very cautious around her, but it turns out she absolutely adores me. Anyway, this is where I now am, I've made the journey from Toronto to Calgary airport: where a very nice man called Scott kindly picked me up from the airport and drive me an hour or so out into the back of beyond, to a place called Blackie. Well, it was a bit further than this, but the nearest named place is Blackie. We did stop en-route before leaving Calgary because Scott needed to get a battery from Costco and I needed to refuel because I hadn't eaten since around 5am and it was now about 3pm (which is actually 12 hours when taking into account the time difference) It turns out Costco has a canteen (restaurant in the loosest possible sense) and I'm recommended to try the hotdog if I just want easy sustenance. What I ordered was just that, a hot dog. What I got was one hell of a surprise! "That'll be $1.50 please?" says the woman behind the counter. (that's 75p). I hand over my money and she asks if I want onions? "Yes please" I'm then handed a bonafide footlong all American hot dog, bursting with onions FOR SEVENTY FIVE PENCE! I'm talking fat, chunky hot dog sausage which is spilling out of the 12" long roll. Best bargain junk food ever. Perfect for what I needed right then and for how I was feeling. "Excuse me sir, you forgot this" says the lady at the till, as she hands me a cup. "What's this for?" I enquire? "Errr...your drink? The soda fountain is over there" she says pointing to where the ketchup, mustard and napkins are before looking across to the guy behind me, "Next please?" Let's look at this a minute, I can walk into a Costco anywhere in Canada and get a hot dog bigger than any I've had in the UK (damn tasty too!), with onions and a massive cup of Coke/Sprite/Root beer (guess which I chose) AND free refills on the soda. For around the same price as a bar of chocolate in the UK? OK, so it certainly wasn't the finest of meals I ate on my trip but it sure as hell ranks up there as one of the best when looking at the price/taste/belly filling ratio. Anyway, I digress. Where were we? Oh yes, on a farm in the middle of nowhere. See the panoramic shot in the post above? See the silver trailer to the right of the orange/red tractor? That was my home for the week. A race car transporter with a futon in it. I've flown 1,500 miles to sleep in a trailer. In a remote part of Alberta. With no mode of transport. With a family I'd never met. And a dog who was my new best friend. This, THIS, is going to be an amazing week. I can tell you that now....
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Nov 28, 2015 22:55:49 GMT
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For some reason my brain keeps reading the title of this as "if only you were nearer the table to reach the potatoes" Well, that just made my night! Thread title accordingly changed for the next day or two simply because it made me laugh so much. is that really 9.4 mpg Don't they use KM in Canada? So perhaps KM/Litre? Hopefully this will help you welshpug? I think you'll agree it's pretty impressive considering the size of car I'm driving? So, I think that we've established that this isn't actually the end of the story now. I just hope the next part now lives up to the hype? I have a feeling it may? One thing, before I start my rambles again, please picture yourself on one of those National Depress bus services, the ones that promise a lot but deliver so little. Especially in the legroom and time keeping departments. A Bristol to London journey of sheer despair that makes you wish you'd decided not to save those pennies and you can only stare out the window with a sinking feeling of failure as the £20 more expensive train goes whizzing past and you're not even near Swindon yet. Why? Well, take that picture and apply that to WestJet. The Greyhound bus service of the Canadian air travel world. Where you genuinely, finally, get the whole analogy of being squeezed into a sardine tin. Air Canada, by comparison, is like Alan Sugar lending you his full fat Roller for the journey. WestJet, I thank you for getting me there, but I'll remain politely silent on all my other views of your service. So where I am? Where did this late night kebab run of an airborne taxi service take me? "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore"
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