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Journeys, even everyday ones, can mean a lot. Paddy McGrath is a freelance car photographer and Commercial Editor at car culture online hub Speedhunters. As someone with a passion for motoring, Paddy told TheJournal.ie about the drive that means the most to him.
I’ve been fortunate over the years that my job has provided me with opportunities and driving moments that I couldn’t even have dreamed about as a child. However, one of them does stand out above all the others.
Last year I was working in California when a long time friend of mine, Brian Henderson of Rotiform, invited me to drive his new Porsche 911 Carrera. It was Brian’s first ever, brand new Porsche, and something he had worked hard towards all of his life. To be allowed the privilege to drive it in the canyons above Los Angeles, was really a very special moment.
It was the new turbocharged 991 model (but not a ‘Turbo’ per se) in Miami Blue, with some choice modifications including Bilstein suspension and upgraded Brembo brakes, along with Rotiform wheels. It was a seven-speed manual car, too.
The car brought me so much joy when doing even the simplest of things, and absolute euphoria when carving up and down the empty canyon roads.
Southern California is heaven for an automotive enthusiast. Cheap fuel, great weather and access to some of the best driving roads in the world. The road which leads from Azuza is just one of the countless examples of perfect pavements which wind their way through, around and over the hills behind Los Angeles.
On this particular day, we picked a spot high in the hills to take a break, which offered stunning views of rolling hills and the San Gabriel reservoir beneath us.
What made this day special above others, was that it contained all the elements of my favourite life motto: ‘travel, fast cars and cool people’.
It didn’t hurt that just as we were finishing up, we were joined by one of Brian’s friends who arrived in his bright yellow Porsche 991 GT3, whom promptly offered me his keys along with an invitation to see what his car was capable of.
“Wait until 9,000RPM to upshift” he told me as I sat into the fixed back Recaro bucket seat. That’s all the encouragement any of us would need, isn’t it?
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Congrats to all the winners.
We could do with some good news articles for a change. How about restaurants and takeaways that went above and beyond to service customers in a brutal 2020 year? Or best reviewed meal kits from 2020? Some many in that industry are doing their best. But it’s easy to call out the few bad apples.
@Keith Richardson: sorry my comment meant for Keith
@Keith Richardson: agree one of local takeaways offered free meals to people who needed a meal at start of lockdown 2.0 . always support them and throw a larger than average tip in to them.
@Keith Richardson: this is important public health information from the Food Safety Authority. It gets printed periodically in many Irish news outlets a for reasons of public health. The journal have been doing it for a long time.
Anyways you don’t have to look far for the kind banal pop journalism you’re raving about there. You can find “the best of this or that” literally everywhere
Personally I’d prefer to know if a restaurant/bar/cafe near was serving dubious food so I would know to avoid it. They don’t all get closed down immediately
Perhaps you are happy enough funnelling any old tripe down your gullet but I am not
A bit light on detail
@Denis Leane: the details would have been published at the time the order was made to close, the orders are published every month
I’m thinking of opening a sushi takeaway. Anyone got a spare bedroom so I can get the cooking done?
@Levante Dublin: cooking? Sushi ? I thought that’s the beauty of sushi you only need a bedroom. No kitchen necessary. A knife and a cutting board and you’re made
@Levante Dublin: agree…. The Press love negativity…. what about all those bars and restaurants that abide by the law and are pristine…. probably 99+%
@Ian Forbes: reporting facts isn’t being negative. By default they SHOULD be pristine.
@Jakie McLean: sushi technically refers to the rice, I believe, which does need to be cooked. As such,you can get various types where all ingredients are cooked. Like with sushi involving chicken.
@Ian Forbes: News is news, it isn’t positive or negative
@Jakie McLean: rice!
@Ian Forbes: i look at it the other way, so many good restaurants and the little few bad ones. It’s a good news story.
@Levante Dublin: only need to cook the rice
Couldn’t we introduce a food hygiene rating as they have in the UK, as the activity of the Irish Food Safety Authority is not particularly transparent
@Jules: True story. I grew up in Coventry and as a kid every Friday we got food from the same chippy. I since moved to Dublin but I, and my three siblings, were back to see my mother who ill and hospitalised at the time. We did the nostalgia tour and went to the chippy for dinner. They had a half a star out of 5 rating…
@Jules: the food in the UK is muck. Their food quality and standards are deplorable compared to ours
@Denise Ní Cinnseala: what a silly sweeping comment
Cáitín
Name and shame
@Mark Gaffney: the names are on the FSAI website.
Gives new meaning to the phrase “dishing the dirt”.
Is there any within 5 km of me.? I feel hungry
Mostly Pakistani s
Is this a dirty article?
Where’s the ?
Name & Shame the business and its owners!
This will continue otherwise simple as!
which restaurants in Cork?
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