Thought of the Week...
Is important to stop and think about the people we're leaving behind on our rush to the top, to get everything done, think about the people who should be there the whole way.
““To go fast, go alone. To go far, go with friends” ”
Is important to stop and think about the people we're leaving behind on our rush to the top, to get everything done, think about the people who should be there the whole way.
Thought of the Week...
We have a tendancy to over-think everything and sometime the simply answers are the best.
““Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ”
We have a tendancy to over-think everything and sometime the simply answers are the best.
Thought of the Week...
Do you ever question is love at first sight exists? Or maybe your a believer, do you ever think if lust plays a part in the 'love at first sight' thoughts and feelings?
“Love, at first sight, isn’t real, it’s lust. If lust turns into love, we call it love at first sight.”
Do you ever question is love at first sight exists? Or maybe you’re a believer, do you ever think if lust plays a part in the 'love at first sight' thoughts and feelings?
Thought of the Week...
Had one of those days where your brain is literally thinking about all the things you do, is coming and driving on auto pilot?
“MY MIND IS LIKE AN INTERNET BROWSER - 19 Tabs open 3 of them are frozen and I have no idea where the music is coming from!”
Had one of those days where your brain is literally thinking about all the things you do, is coming and driving on auto pilot?
Thought of the Week...
The temptation to eat chocolate and all things naughty is becoming the rather large elephant in the room.
“I can resist anything except temptation. ”
Taken from author, poet, and playwright Oscar Wilde.
The temptation to eat chocolate and all things naughty is becoming the rather large elephant in the room.
Thought of the Week...
With the thought of getting back to work after the Christmas period this quote came to mind.
With the thought of getting back to work after the Christmas period this quote came to mind.
“Lazy is such an ugly word. I prefer to call it selective participation.”
What Is Prodrive? And Why Is It Worth A Visit?
If you’re a petrol head and rally cars turn your head, then Prodrive might be your ideal day out. Now for many we often see Formular one in the new as the be all and end all to racing but there’s a whole lot more and Prodrive is the best in the business. For a small tour fee – that goes to charity - you can visit their headquarters and marvel in their magnificence. Was that too much?
If you’re a petrol head and rally cars turn your head, then Prodrive might be your ideal day out. Now for many we often see Formular one in the new as the be all and end all to racing but there’s a whole lot more and Prodrive is the best in the business. For a small tour fee – that goes to charity - you can visit their headquarters and marvel in their magnificence. Was that too much?
Firstly who are Prodrive and why are they so special?
Well, Prodrive has worked with many car companies including Porsche, MG, BMW and MINI. And currently build the cars for Aston Martin. They had been completed in many races with a range of manufacturers in a range of races but it’s one special race and driver that really put Prodrive on the map. Two words... Subaru & McRaeEver wondered why Subaru's iconic blue and yellow theme is so popular? Well, it’s all down to this moment.
The most legendary moment in British rally history
Let me set the scene for you. It's 1995. Car manufacturers like Lancia and Ford are huge and running rallies in their Lancia Delta’s and Ford Escort RS Cosworth (I miss you), and Subaru is a small company from Japan and not the big brand name we see today. This iconic race is one of the reasons they earnt such fame and have gone on to produce some might corner taking machines to this day. And Prodrive has become a major name in the racing industry.
The most captivating race of British racing
McRae and teammate Science were fighting to earn the lead in the 1995 RAC Rally. McRae was eager to win the title after missing out on previous races and frankly, McRae was not being a team player, the bosses needed both teammates to finish and Colin had set his eye on the prize regardless.
It wasn’t until day 8 of the rally when things really kicked off. During one stage Colin was 28 seconds faster than anyone else putting fear into the other teams. During the next stage chaos erupted, Colin suffered not one but two problems firstly a puncture and secondly his front suspension, the team rushed chaotically to quickly fixed the problems and get him back on the road.
The only way to win now was to go at it with all they had. From the Grisedale stage to the end of the next day, they were flat out to gain any second they could, out of all the drivers and cars in the race, Colin was the fastest in 8 of the nine stages only just taking the lead by 17 seconds.
He was willing to risk it all to win the rally. The final day of the race arrives, with seven stages to go before someone is crowned the winner and Colin starts the day by playing pool in the local pub – as you do - while the car is being serviced ready for the race and goes on to be the first over the finish line and win the title of Britain’s first World Rally champion.
What’s this got to do with Prodrive?
Former World Rally Championship-winning co-driver, David Richards founded Prodrive in 1984 it is now the world-leading motorsport business and has spent decades helping manufacturers to win races.
Prodrive competes in races all over the world and to this day they have been in over 1200 events ending up on the podium in over a third of the events – a pretty impressive record me thinks! It's not just rallying there into either they compete in circuit races too – to put it in simple terms, going round and round on tarmacked tracks than through forest tracks.
By 2001, they were re-engineering the Ferrari 550 Maranello into a GT car and winning the GT class at Le Mans in 2003. By 2007 they had teamed with Aston Martin and maintained a longstanding partnership with them to this day. This is a snippet of what they have achieved and no doubt they can put do it more justice than I ever could, you can see many of their trophies and awards during a tour.
Well, the display is ever-changing, the vintage cars such as the very cars Colin McRae drove in his races can be seen, touched and even sit in or pose for photos! Cue photo…These vintage cars chance due to attending events, shows and cars moving around the country but they never leave a stand empty so there is always something amazing to see.
Whilst you are there don’t be afraid to ask the questions you really want to know, talk to the technicians and take photos in the cars on display this isn’t like being behind the glass and reading the notice boards kind of tour.
Prodrive build the original Aston Martins that you buy from the dealer, Prodrive designed them, builds them and you can be right alongside the technicians who are hand-assembling the cars and complex engines and powertrains, you can even touch them - the cars I mean!
These workshops are immaculate and well organised, they are so well run that they can even track back who worked on each vehicle.
What’s to see?
Well, the display is ever-changing, the vintage cars such as the very cars Colin McRae drove in his races can be seen, touched and even sit in or pose for photos! Cue photo…These vintage cars chance due to attending events, shows and cars moving around the country but they never leave a stand empty so there is always something amazing to see.
Whilst you are there don’t be afraid to ask the questions you really want to know, talk to the technicians and take photos in the cars on display this isn’t like being behind the glass and reading the notice boards kind of tour.
Prodrive build the original Aston Martins that you buy from the dealer, Prodrive designed them, builds them and you can be right alongside the technicians who are hand-assembling the cars and complex engines and powertrains, you can even touch them - the cars I mean! These workshops are immaculate and well organised, they are so well run that they can even track back who worked on each vehicle.
What’s else have they mastered?
Now I don’t want to spoil too much for you like that kind of ruins the point of the tour. Prodrive is a really well company investing in many different areas aside from racing, from developing electric vehicles, finding new answers to recycling challenges, working on equipment for the forces to making ventilators for the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have some serious cash to spare you can ask them to mod your car or even restore it to its former glory.
Many rally cars have been sold to the public over the years, if you’re thinking of buying an authentic rally car, before you part with the thousands get it authenticated by Prodrive.
How Do We Book?
Back at the start of 2020, Prodrive didn’t have tours advertised, I emailed them to ask if they would consider giving us a tour. Thankfully Prodrive gladly arranged a tour of their Bambury headquarters for us and we attended back in February. If you want to book a tour you can do so here for only £30 per person which sounds very reasonable for a tour lasting for around 90 minutes, if you’re lucky enough to get a one to one session as we did. They use this money to fund student visits and donate profits to charity.
Tours of the Prodrive headquarters are typically held on Tuesdays and Thursdays whilst the factory is in full swing – you can really see what a typical day is like. Oh, and the main entrance is towards the back of the building, there is parking all around so you should manage to find a sneaky space somewhere.
I think it really worth the small fee they charge to see what they have on offer and after all, it’s for charity right?. Find tour details here.
Lastly don’t forget to take a photo and tag yourself while you’re there!
Thought of the Week...
This quote came to me recently when I thought about writing my recent post about making memories and personal goals.
This quote came to me recently when I thought about writing my recent post about making memories and personal goals.
“We do not remember days, we remember moments.”
Taken from Italian novelist and poet Cesare Pavese.
Thought of the Week...
Thanks to recently watching the movie I thought it was a lovely thought or sentiment at the end of the movie.
Thanks to recently watching the movie I thought it was a lovely thought or sentiment at the end of the movie.
“For things to become lovable, they must first be loved.”
Taken from the Beauty And The Beast 2014.
Thought of the Week...
When you meet somebody for the first time, you’re not meeting them. You’re meeting their representative.
When you meet somebody for the first time, you’re not meeting them. You’re meeting their representative.
Relationships are easy to get into and hard to maintain. Why are they so hard to maintain? Because it’s hard to keep up the lie!
Thought of the Week...
Love and hate
The opposite of love isn't hate. It's indifference. If you're a passionate person, and love and hate… it's not a far stretch from one to the other. They both take passion, someone getting under your skin and consuming you.
- Taken from the book Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower.
Thought of the Week...
Remembering to take the time to look around
"He taught me that you don't have to climb a mountain to stand on top of the world. That even the ugliest of places can be beautiful, as long as you take the time to look. That it's okay to get lost... as long as you find your way back."
- Taken from All The Bright Places film.
Thought of the Week...
Please tell me there’s a better way to find songs than googling the wrong lyrics?!
Do you ever find yourself singing the only two lines of a song that you know, desperately trying to remember how the rest of it goes and attempting to sing them - rather badly into Shazam or Google?
Then after trailing through the post you discover what you thought were the lyrics, are not actually the lyrics and you've actually been adding your own to the song?
If there's a better way of doing this please let me know, it might help to preserve what little sanity I have left.
Thought of the Week...
Sarcasm
I've been told I have sarcasm.
My question to you is, do I add this under skills or qualities on my CV? We wouldn't want anyone to miss out on my full potential!
Thought of the Week...
Relationships
“Sometimes relationships feel like a tattoo I got at 18, at the time it was fantastic and exciting and now it’s faded like you can’t really see what it is anymore.”
- Taken from the Love Life series.
Thought of the Week...
Making sense
“Wouldn’t bi-handulal make more sense than ampudextrus?”
Thought of the Week...
Who you are
““Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.”
Thought of the Week...
Past and Present
Stop letting your past determine your future, allow it to make you a better person and not a bitter one.
Blog Post Title One
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.