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Loose Cannon

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Loose Cannon last won the day on July 13 2019

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About Loose Cannon

  • Birthday 22/01/1968

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  • Name
    Mark
  • Car
    2004 DB7 Volante; 2007 Jaguar XJR
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    Stock as a rock
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    Stuck in the 90s

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  1. The Whale. An amazing study of empathy and forgiveness. The trailer doesn't do it justice. Just watch it.
  2. ^^^ Ooh that looks good! As a fan of Tony Scott I hope they do it justice, and not too much social justice warrioring. I was a bit hesitant about Le Mans 66, as any detail-obsessed car nerd would be, but with only a few tiny flaws I would recommend it to anyone. Catching up on a few other recentish films I can recommend a pair of Mel Gibson items which slipped under the radar; 1. Blood Father; I love nothing better than a good revenge flick, where an old school star like goes all psycho-dad on some unfortunate others who have slighted someone they care about. Apart from the person playing his daughter, who is incredibly annoying, this is an entertaining bit of fluff that will have you rooting for MG. 2. The Professor and the Madman: The unlikely but true tale of the man largely responsible for the Oxford English Dictionary and the help he receives from a schizophrenic American doctor incarcerated for murder. Doesn't sound like a subject of interest, but there is some good acting especially from Sean Penn and a quality supporting cast. Mel gibson is also rocking the same "Moses" beard he has in Blood Father, and digs his dodgy Scottish accent out of the wardrobe one more time, last seen on Braveheart probably! I tried to watch the Apollo 11 documentary on Amazon the other day, but I was warned its sitting under the Christmas tree, so will report on that later!
  3. I actually went to see it again; a friend with a spinal injury was given tickets and unsurprisingly didn't relish the thought of sitting for circa 3.5 hours inc ads and trailers....so we gave them a good home.😁 I enjoyed it even more second time around, as I don''t really like surprises, and once you had got QT's little plot quirks out of the way could concentrate even more on the staggering attention to detail and fantastic character performances.
  4. Agree, we saw it last night. I was a bit cautious as QT has made as many stinkers as classics, but his films are always beautifully designed and crafted. As a longtime fan of midcentury design and architecture I was looking forward to his fastidious attention to detail into turning the world back to 1969 and was totally blown away. I usually have an irrational dislike of modern period drama as I'm always spotting double glazing in Dickens plays or block paving in episodes of George Gently. However this was perfect from corner to corner of the widescreen, you can really see where love and money has been lavished. It's mesmerizing. As regards the plot it did go on a little but the acting and casting was spot on; Leonardo giving us his usual twitching, simmering pent up energy whilst Brad in his grizzled but cool 50s still looks like the genetic blueprint for the male species (the bastard). I'm always a little edgy about people re-writing history in movie storylines too, and QT is guiltier of this than most (i.e. Inglorious Basterds) but, without giving too much away, in this film it was hilarious and satisfying. Its long and not for everyone but its the best thing I've seen in years.
  5. Shazam! The trailer looked fun and the film didn't disappoint. It felt like a cross between Toby McGuire's "Spiderman" and Tom Hank's "Big", which I think is a compliment. As long as you wind yourself back to a child like level of expectation this is a nice feelgood movie for all the family (as long as the kids dont mind a few monster head-chomps).
  6. For a minute I thought she has 3 hands in that picture? Not seen many films lately but surprise quality flicks x2 are Stan and Ollie, and Rocketman. Stan and Ollie; well cast, well acted and some terrific makeup to make the 2 actors look spot on. If you have any background knowledge some of the dialogue between the 2 guys and spouses is spot on. The only shame is the supposed 15 year rift between the two (which has never been mentioned before) is overplayed for dramatic effect, but overall it's a very sweet and affectionate look at these incredibly modest 20th century icons. Rocketman; I was expecting more truth and honesty with this film than the previous Freddie Mercury biopic, and that was mostly correct. Contrary to the surving members of Queen I don't think old Elton gives a stuff what people think of him back then or especially now. I admit after the credits when it became clear it was going to be a kind of musical I nearly walked out, but soon got drawn into the fun, fear and chaos. If Taron Egerton does not get an award for this film there is no justice.
  7. Not in the slightest Stuart your positive comment was taken exactly as you meant it. It could not possibly have gone to a better home, I'm delighted. Thankyou Phil that would be amazing. If I'm back down Norfolk way I'll look you up if thats OK? When I first set off on the mission of Esprit ownership a copper'n'cream Bond-esque Turbo was top of the list. Unfortunately at the time such replicas were not really in vogue and genuine similar cars very rare. Plus I didn't have the experience or skill to create one myself. Its thanks to this website and earlier iterations that its so relatively easy to own an Esprit now, the knowledge base and archive is immense.
  8. Hi all, thankyou very much for your kind thoughts and messages. As a nice ending to this tale I can confirm my GT3 has been sold. As you will know it was just as important to me personally who bought it as how much it went for, and it has gone to just about the best person I can ever think of in more ways than one. I don't think he will mind me mentioning his name (as he said the car will probably be even more famous in publicity pics in the future) but it was bought by long-standing Lotus staffer Gavan Kershaw, Director of Lotus Cars (Vehicle Attributes) and all-round Lotus-Nutcase-for-Life. As he knew about the circumstances behind the sale Gavan organised a day out at the factory. I delivered the car to him and in return he treated me and my wife to an incredible few laps of the track as a passenger in an Evora 430, a guided tour of the lines by another Lotus hero, Richard Rackham, and a meeting with Clive Chapman who let us look around the Classic workshops. I haven't worn as big a smile in many months I can tell you, and my deepest thanks go out to all involved. I must say the amount of interest the GT3 generated at the factory was extraordinary, even when mixed in with the current exotica. Fifth Gear were nearby filming some retrospective on the Elise and you could see them looking at it - who knows maybe they will do an Esprit vid soon? Another factory staffer has recently bought a red GT3 which featured in some corporate press photographs of a new director, and that owner was the one who persuaded Gavan to take the plunge. Actually Gavan told me he bought the first production press car, also orange, when it was released so he's no stranger to them. Lotus guru Scott Walker who is now a senior staffer inspected the GT3 long and hard and pronounced it a "good'un". I must admit was a bit apprehensive when Gavan asked to take it out on the road for a test drive but must admit he drove just like me, i.e. like a pensioner! He says he gets quite enough speed on the track and takes it easy on the roaad, very wise. All in all one of the most memorable days of my life. To top it off we went for a quiet drink in local pub to calm down later that evening and just happened to pick the night of the monthly Lotus meeting at the Bird in Hand - hello Owen! I must admit I did get a bit emotional when time came to hand the keys over. When thinning out the history file I came across some pics of the car on the driveway, you know the sort, when the kids bikes are on the garden, all the plants are half as high as they are now, and you realise just how much your special car has become woven into the fabric of your life and your family. But time moves on and I can tell you parting with a car does not even register compared to parting with one of your children. I may get back into Lotus ownership one day - it occurred to me when experiencing all these amazing things that I would not be allowed on site at the next factory event and would be lucky to be allowed in on the park and ride bus! I might have to cadge a lift from one of you lot as a passenger!
  9. Thankyou all. A Lotus-friend came around last night who didn't know, and I had to tell him the story, which in itself is exhausting. That is going to happen a lot in the future. He himself has no children (which when I add up a surprising amount of aquaintances don't) and said as such he couldn't imagine what it was like. I said thet I (now) understand that with other close deaths (parents, grandparents, even friends) eventually you get over it. There is no getting over this, you don't even want to. My stepmother is the only close person who has been through anything similar to confide in. She has watched various members of her family die through a terrible hereditory motor neurone disease, including her son. She has always seemd a bit dotty to us, but now makes perfect sense as to why she is how she is. Please please watch out for your children no matter how "adult" society views them as being. In this mad, unforeseen and unpredictable modern world where you are two mouse clicks away from watching someone being beheaded, you are also 2 clicks away from places that will tell you in painstaking detail how to take your own life.
  10. Thankyou for your kind comments. She was 22 and only a few weeks away from completing her degree and starting the rest of her life. The University are awarding her a posthumous degree, which is very kind of them, as she had already done enough to pass. We were going to have fun looking for her favourite car (Jaguar XK8) this summer. Then maybe a trip back to her favourite place, the West Coast and Death Valley. Every holiday, in fact every plan we ever had was built around her. There are now no more plans. Life will be so dull without her. My little car show buddy. Here she is trying out an XK the weekend before she passed away. We had such an amazing few days; went for walks, went to see Suede in concert, 5 days later she was gone. Treasure your loved ones, you never know what is around the bend.
  11. Hi all. A difficult post this. For a little while now I have felt my time with the Esprit was coming to an end, no matter how much I adored it (and still do). My mileage has dropped to 1000 a year and often much less, and my trips limited to special events like the factory dos and local stuff like the Jim Clark memorial, plus I hardly visit the forum any more from being a daily visitor in the past. I am really after a touring machine now, and the GT3s rather focussed driver delivery is not condusive to this, certainly not for hours on end on the motorway! I also gain great pleasure taking my little dogs out, and any car that doesn't accommodate them usually gets left behind. Lat year I put the GT3 on the market at a price I thought would put people off! Surprisingly it didn't and I had many enquiries and 2 serious buyers very quickly which frightened the shite out of me. I got cold feet and was unforgiveably inhospitable to someone who came out to view. It was obvious the time wasn't right and I withdrew it before I pissed off yet more people with mixed messages. I vowed to keep it another year or two, get my last bit of enjoyment out of the car (like this years Jim Clark event where it has been a bit of a celebrity in the past) then finally sell it on. Sadly all future plans were tipped on their head a few weeks ago when Lorna, my beautiful, kind, thoughtful, funny, clever and quietly confident daughter, took her own life after a heartbreaking relationship and a long battle with autism. In a stroke I lost the one person who made life fun and whom I could talk to and laugh about anything. As pleasures go the only thing I can foresee helping me and her mum through the years ahead are those peaceful trips out with the dogs, and maybe, just maybe, some time in the near future a return to European touring and the headspace-clearing open countryside of France and fresh air of the Alps. For that I need something different, a change of scene, a big lazy engine, an open top to blow away the cobwebs and clear the mind of dreadful thoughts. So I have placed the car for sale again. Because I love it so much in my mind I am still stupidly working out if I can keep it beside something else, wondering if some new job or financial windfall will mean I can pay the credit cards off and it can stay in its rightful place in my garage. To be honest though I have done the "car collection" thing too many times before, and when you have 4,5 and more cars lying around the place it becomes so all-encompassing that its a pain. Spreadhseets to keep up with maintenanace, MOTs and Insurances, battery conditioners on trailing cables etc. There just isn't enough time in the day usually, and so few sunny days for sunny day cars. Although its nice to pretend to be Harry Metcalfe, you have to admit to being just a peasant. I have had a little interest in the short time it has been back for sale so far, though unfortunately its a sign of the times that these are now wealthy collectors who are put off by the idea that I have mainatined the car mostly myself, with recourse to specialists only when required for jobs I consider neyond me (timing, rotating internals etc). I try to explain that unlike Ferrari, Lambo and Porsche owners, Lotus guys tend to be a bit more hands on with oil under their nails. Personally I would rather take 3 weeks to do a job myself than dump it at a dealer who has a fixed time in mind and wont obsess about replacing all the rusty bits with stainless like I do. It is increasingly annoying when these buyers (most of whom have never inspected any Esprit never mind mine) point at recent auction sales of cars with higher miles and common colours and tell you thats the value of yours. Unfortunately my current state of mind is rather intolerant as you can imagine. So far I have resisted pointedly asking them why they didn't buy these cars if they were such "bargains". Anyhow this is turning into a rant rather than an explanation so I'll leave it here for the good friends on the forum who have been enquiring why, and to whom I have not been able to explain. I have met some great people for no other reason than because of my ownership of this beautiful car. I have met people at the Lotus factory I have admired for decades (the Esprit platform manager lives near me and is a Sunday tea visitor), I am on first name terms with Jim Clark's relatives and friends, bloody hell I even got to meet Hazel Chapman and sit in Colins armchair! All because of this little orange car. If it does sell it will be then end of an incredible era that I will never forget, just like my beautiful Lorna.
  12. 😁 Slightly belated happy 92nd to Hazel for today 🎂
  13. I'm only looking at online comments about that Question Time programme because of this thread, but its ironic the same people banging on about ignoring him because he is only an actor don't seem to have a problem if its Emma "air miles" Thompson. He speaks a lot of sense but his Brian Blessed school of delivery will never go down well with the hand-wringers and hell always be condemned as a dinosaur. BIG ISSUE INTERVIEW
  14. Pilkingtons? As well as remanufacturing the glass there would have to be sufficient extra fittings (handles and tongues etc) as there are quite a few bits and bobs involved in those and all out of production too. SJ Sportscars have it all but exactly how many full sets only they could say. Therehas been suggestions in the past of getting them done in tinted polycarbonate (makralon or some similar modern hard wearing stuff) which could also wear a clear film to protect from wash scratching etc. This seems a good idea as using polycarb the thicknesses at the edges and hinge points could then be moulded thicker to re-use the existing fittings from the old solid roof. A lot of work for someone to emgineer a small run, which could end up costing as much as the 2nd hand glass ones?
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