Takona Tlks. (Takona)

I sat down with Paul Gardner, founder of Speedbroker, a luxury car concierge service that covers everything from detailing and maintenance through to sales and storage. Paul has had a pretty interesting story leading him to the creation of Speedbroker, and we sat down to really go through the story along with shooting the breeze and chatting cars. You can find Speedbroker at - http://speedbroker.co.uk Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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This episode the morning drive: I sit down with Shami Kalra, founder of Omologato watches. We met up at his offices in Windsor to chat cars, watches, and life running an automotive business along with being an automotive enthusiast. Heads up that there are two breaks in the audio, one for the changing of the guard at Windsor castle which was across the road, and the other due to a microphone running out of battery. You can find Shami and Omologato on Twitter - @ShamiKalra  @OmologatoOro and Omologato at - omologatowatches.com

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This episode Takona Tlks with Al Clark, automotive film director behind some of the most interesting and exciting videos you may have seen. Including one with a rather fast moving Bugatti...

Al and I sat down for a good ol chat about what he does, how he got started, and how the automotive world can be a great connector.

You can find out more about Al and his work over on his website : outrun.tv and as always you can find out more about Takona at Takona.co.uk

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I sit down with the automotive legend that is Alex Goy!A man who has supported Takona practically from it's inception, it was a proud moment when my "will you come on my podcast?" text got a yes.Alex is a freelance automotive journalist who's pretty much written for every automotive outlet going, highly regarded amongst the automotive world and a genuinely great guy. An absolute pleasure to sit down and chat.You can find Alex on Instagram and Twitter.As always Takona is Here along with Instagram and Twitter. Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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This Episode of the morning drive: I sat down with Jim Magill, best known for his adventures in interesting and quirky cars across the planet, from driving an XL1 across the US to driving a 1993 fiat panda practically around the globe, Jim has had some fantastic adventures and shares some brilliant stories. Oh, and we recorded this in said fiat panda so there may be some background noise. 

Find Jim at @thealso

Find Takona at www.takona.co.uk and @takona_official

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I sat down with Liam from The Back Roads to talk about the mighty return of the 944 after it's 2 years of being fixed.

We looked into the origin of Charity Corner and the amazing friends that connect us.

We also got an interruption about halfway through were someone walked into the cafe, so you are forewarned.

You can find more from Liam and The Back Roads - Here 

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This episode I sit down with Boxengasse founder Frank Cassidy.

Frank is known for his absolute love of all things Porsche, and is regularly seen out on alpine tours, continental road trips, and at various events in some rather tasty bits of kit.

We sat down at his "ultimate man cave" garage on site at Boxengasse to talk all things cars, community, and Porsche, a real treat to be able to sit down with someone who's grown to be a personal friend, all thanks to our love of cars.

Find more of Boxengasse here.

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This episode of Takona Tlks.: I sit down with Ian Cook, automotive artists best known for his painting with remote control cars. Ian has been a regular face throughout the automotive community, having done his live art at events such as the Silverstone Grand Prix, Goodwood festival of speed, and shows across the planet. We sat and chatted about all things pop bang colour, Ian's story, and what life is like as an artist.

You can see more about Ian and his work here.

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This episode I sat down with the brilliant Helen Stanley, you will probably already know Helen, she's been on the telly! For those that haven't come across her work, Helen has been in a few automotive tv shows including Goblin Garage and Motor Pickers, writes for Mini Magazine, and creates brilliant artworks. It was a real treat to sit down and just chat all things cars, art, and mental health, especially with someone so honest and open about their life. Helen shares both the highlights and the challenges, and isn't afraid to say that things can get tough, right up the Takona avenue then. You can find more of Helens work over on her Website.As always you can find Takona at www.takona.co.uk and Takona_official on most social media. Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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Following our first cars and coffee event, I sat down with Marc O'Shea to talk about his lovely and particularly special Fiat 500 Abarth. We also shared a story of how Marc spotted me in Brighton and got his wife to stop her car so he could come and introduce himself, a real show of how the car world brings us together.Thank you to Mike at 4T in Sawbridgeworth for hosting cars and coffee with me and for allowing us to record in the café. Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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This week I managed to sit down with one of the busiest guys in the automotive world.

When he's not running his hotel, he's creating car events, or maybe doing music videos in his Aventador, or quite possibly creating an episode of his mental health awareness YouTube series. The guy doesn't stop. Well, until I asked him to sit and chat.

You can find Ciro on instagram here and on Youtube here. 

As always you can find Takona at www.takona.co.uk and on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok, YouTube, coffees and cars, most car shows, outside on the street, on the road, and because of this podcast, directly into your ears.

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This episode I sat down with the brilliant John Marcar! John is one of the hosts of the Driven Chat podcast and Radio show, amongst other things.. It was an absolute pleasure talking to John and putting him in the interviewee seat for a change, from his time working on the Gumball Rally, to running his own car tours business, there's some real gems to listen to. Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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This episode I sit down with Photographer, content creator and social media person (not influencer), Roger Chan. 

We met up at Squisita for a great chat about living through some tough times, working in the automotive world, and what it's like being around cars all the time.

Find more of Rogers work over on his instagram.

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The Morning Drive is kicking off our guest stories starting with Sam Johnson Aka the 4K86. We sat down to go through the story behind how this 86 went from write off to show stopper!  To see more photos of the car head to Sams instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/samwise_excl/And for videos on the build check out his YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EXCLgarage Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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This episode Takona Tlks with Vanessa Ruck aka The Girl on a Bike, motorbike endurance rally rider, Bowler Motors racing driver, and presenter.

After a tragic accident on her pushbike followed by 7 surgeries over 7 years, Vanessa discovered the world of motorcycling, and just as importantly the thrill of exploring the world on them. As a rider she’s pushing the boundaries in a huge array of motorcycle disciplines. From full blown desert rallies, to hard enduro and road touring, to knee down track days, and trials. If it’s got an engine and wheels, Vanessa will be excited. 

Vanessa is on a mission to show that nothing is impossible if you work hard enough, even as a slightly reconstructed person following the accident. Instead of adding to the sometimes-toxic media landscape filled with ‘all so perfect’ lives, she’s real and honest, sharing the highs and the lows. Showing the strength needed to come out stronger against life’s curve-balls.  She believes it’s about realising that wanting to quit is normal, that anxiety and stress can be overcome and that with the right mindset and strategies anything is possible. Born from real life experiences, she brings highly relatable lessons and tools to help face the battles and challenges of life.

As a force to be reckoned with, she's an rider, racer and adventurer living with ongoing pain, and is determined to make the most of every day despite her past, and help others do the same. Vanessa will be joining us with her energetic real life experiences following her life changing story from accident to becoming a rider and international racer who has now ridden in over 28 countries.

Find out more about Vanessa Here.

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This episode Takona Tlks with Jonny Ambrose, automotive artist and sculptor who uses a variety of interesting and creative techniques to make amazing pieces including a wireframe Porsche 917, 3D printed hexagon hero cars, and carved wood airflow sculptures. We sat down for a chat ahead of the Classic Nostalgia event at Shelsley Walsh on the 22nd and 23rd of July where Jonny has gathered some of the finest automotive artists together to display their work. You can find out more here.You can also learn more about Jonny and his work here. Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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I sit down with my friend Terry Putman aka Illustrator Maker, to talk life as an independent automotive artist. We go through how Terry got to doing his artwork, what life working for yourself as a creative person can be like, and some of the challenges and mental health difficulties that have come along the way. You can find Illustrator Maker on Instagram @illustrator_maker and Twitter @illustratormake Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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This episode Takona Tlks with Edward Lovett, founder and CEO of the collecting group which includes both Collecting Cars and Watch Collecting.

We look into the origins of collecting cars and some of Edwards story to how it came about, along with some of the ups and downs of creating a platform from scratch. Shorter than usual episodes as Edward is a pretty busy chap, insightful and entertaining throughout with less of my meandering off on tangents.

To learn more about the collecting group head here.

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This Episode of the Takona Tlks.: I sit down with Dan Macken, one of the two founders of Caffeine and Machine, the automotive hub in Warwickshire.

We talk about a variety of things including Dans life leading up to C&M, how C&M came to be, what the future is holding, and some of the highs and lows all those things bring.

Never did get those Nachos...

You can find out more about Caffeine and Machine here.

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This episode Takona Tlks with Matt prior, editor at large of Autocar Magazine. We go through Matts journey within the automotive journalism world and, amongst other things, share some stories from his time writing for the worlds longest running magazine. You can find out more about Matt Here:And more from Takona Here. Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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This episode of the morning drive: I headed to the flat sixes and flat white car meet with host and all round great guy Seán Matthews, founder of Renneleven. Seán's Porsche 996 was having some work and so he hopped in the passenger seat of the GT86 and we headed over together. It was about half an hour in to the drive Seán brought to light he had mic's with him and that we could record directly to them, so what better opportunity for a podcast!

This was recorded in the rather noisy GT86, and using microphones I've not used before, to put this together I had to download and learn a whole new piece of software! As is often the case, you're on this learning journey with me.

There may be some road noise, and there's two parts to the recording, hopefully it's all pretty coherent.

I also snook in a bit of an advert for Werke Mag in the intro to say thank you for them featuring a Takona ad in the mag, you should check them out here.

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Lockdown remains, which means you're stuck with just me in the morning drives for now.   

Over the Christmas period I've purchased some better bits of kit to hopefully improve the quality of the videos and get the foundations set in for a format going forward.   

So here's episode 2, reviewing Christmas and the new year, going through the car I drive, and sharing a car story involving a rather special Mclaren.   

Let me know what you think, and for anything else Takona head to www.takona.co.uk

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This episode the morning drive: I sat down with Ian Callum, somewhat of a personal hero and an automotive icon. Ian is most known for his car designs, being the main man behind the Aston Martin Vanquish amongst other amazing projects which we discuss. Now running Callum designs making all sorts of amazing things along with writing for the Intercooler.  You can find Callum Designs at - callumdesigns.com and on instagram @callum_designs

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This episode of the morning drive: I sat down with the wonderful Richard Tuthill, of Tuthill Porsche. We had a chat about all things Tuthill, Porsches, safari, and more! Richard was an absolute pleasure to chat with and shared some really insightful stories of the history of Tuthill and where things are heading in the future.

We do have a small break in the middle as Richard needed to shake down a customer car and was kind enough to invite me along for the ride.

You can find out more about Tuthills here.

As always you can find all Takona things at www.takona.co.uk 

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This episode I sit down with Werke Magazine founder Will Beaumont to talk about how he went from doing things at EVO Magazine, to starting his own high quality quarterly magazine focused around BMW's and the automotive lifestyle.

You can find out more about Werke and even order yourself a copy of issue one here.

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This episode Takona Tlks with Joan Fidalgo.

Best known publicly for her writing for the Intercooler, and owning some interesting cars including a Suzuki Cappuccino and a Toyota Sera.

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Takona Tlks with Claire Johnson, aka The Naked Warrior. Claire is a motorsport fitness coach, dietician, author, and racing driver.

We sat down to talk about her work helping racing drivers to improve both their physical and mental wellbeing to improve their performance both on and off the race track, we also talk about her new motorsport training app helping people to train specifically for motorsports.

You can find out more about whatClaire is up to at: linktr.ee/thenakedwarrior

As always you can find out more about Takona at Takona.co.uk

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This episode Takona Tlks with Cesar Pieri, Car designer, Artists, and founder of Gasoline Juice (one of our coffees and cars locations). Cesar and I met just under a year ago when he took over the former CarNatter space in Weedon Bec, since then we've become good friends.

Cesars Design work most famously includes the Jaguar Project 7, a story which he shares the history of in our chat.

You can find more of his design work here. And more on Gasoline Juice Here.

As always, Takona topics, including the Coffees and Cars network, and our recently updated News page can be found here.

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Takona Tlks with Ralph Hosier, Engineer, Electric Vehicle Builder, Automotive Skills teacher, and host of TV's Megabuilds.

Ralph and I sat down for a good ol chat about his career, what he's up to now, and life within the automotive world in general. The conversation steered into the topic of ADHD and Autism towards the end and we explore how society isn't necessarily catering for neurodivergent people, but there are some things that can help.

A thoroughly interesting chat with a very lovely guy.

To learn more about Ralph's work head to: https://www.rhel.co.uk/

For anything Takona related head to: https://www.takona.co.uk

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This Episode Takona Tlks with Mark Rose, founder of the new Redline Magazine.

Mark and I met up at the original coffees and cars location, Squisita, to talk about how he started, what he's up to now, and what he's hoping the future holds.

You can learn more about Redline and get your hands on the mag here.

As always find out more from Takona here.

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Last weeks an episode didn't come out, because Christmas and new years messed up planning for recording. Fortunately ahead of the Sunday Scramble I was able to sit down with Paul Wooding at Hagerty's Clubhouse. Paul is the man we have to thank for the Cloudera GT86's which I created a special edition t-shirt for, along with the replica Goodwood Scalextric track. It's all a bit of a small world isn't it!

Paul shares his story of how his life in the military enabled him to step into civilian life with some well learned lessons and skills, and we go through how he's gotten so involved with Mission Motorsport. There's also a brief cameo from James Cameron (again, becoming a thing isn't it)

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Takona Tlks with William Heynes, Jaguar restorer specialising in early E-Types.

I rather ignorantly didn’t know that much about William till we sat down for this chat, other than his amazing workshop and being married to Amy Shore (now Heynes).

It turns out the William Heynes name goes back to his Grandfather, who Sir William Lyons approached to be chief engineer when starting Jaguar. William goes through this story properly in our conversation and shares an incredible insight into the ordeal that was his first Goodwood revival as a race engineer.

We also go through his incredible story of heading to Goodwood as a race team for the first time, a rollercoaster of emotions throughout and something that deserves listening to.

A real pleasure to record, and a great opportunity to see a proper craftsman in his element.

This episode is also sponsored by Scalextric, use code Takona10 at checkout for 10% off!

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Our good friend Tim Oldland suggested that we do a reverse episode where Takona founder Lewis (me) answers some questions about Takona and how it all came to be and where it might (hopefully) be heading.

So after luring me into BMW's M2 Press Car in the car park at Caffeine and Machines newest location The Bowl, we sat down for a chat about what's been happening, how things got started, and answer some of the questions you lovely people sent in.

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Takona Tlks with Dan Allard, one of the founders of the RollHard Brand.

Dan and RollHard have built a name for creating not only amazing events catering towards the modified car world, but also some fantastic clothing and automotive merch. Dan and I met, as many do, at the Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble and immediately became quite good pals, sharing a common interest in both the automotive and the communities that create around it.

This episode is one of our Scalextric Sponsored episodes, use Takona10 for 10% off at checkout. (we're very proud of this partnership, its a real testament to how much things have grown, thank you for being a part of making that possible)

If you do like what we do, you can support us on Patreon where we share extra bits of supplementary content like the cars Dans talked about in this episode for example. (have absolutely gotten this idea from Smith and Sniff)

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Takona Tlks with Jon Hancock, Car builder, race odyssey founder, and somewhat feature guest on the upcoming Paddock Speedshop TV shop.

Jon and I became friends thanks to coffees and cars of all things, having met at one of the Paddlup meets last year. We've since spent time at events and bumped into each other at various car shows around the country, a real life example of the Takona idea bringing people together and capturing the spirit of the automotive world.

Jon has built a name for himself within the automotive circles as someone who makes fantastic custom cars, most notably his outlaw 356, often mistaken for a Rod Emory build. We sat down for a chat about how it all came to be, and what's in store for the future, including an "RWB Style" 914, and the Race Odyssey 62 Corvette.

If you're a Patron you'll have seen some photos of that corvette, it's also featuring in an upcoming YouTube video we're making.

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Takona Tlks with Dave Edmonston, the founder of PistonHeads, now working with Collecting Cars, and has spent time building and developing websites and platforms across the automotive world. With his latest venture being Driving Masters helping people to learn how to better handle the roads safely.

Dave's influence across the automotive world is somewhat profound, being behind some of the communities that have brought so many people together, and having helped to improve existing platforms that people love. On a personal level it was the piston heads forums that helped me to grow friendships with other car enthusiasts, as well as providing a plethora of interesting stories and groups that got me through long night shifts in the psychiatric hospitals.

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This episode Takona Tlks with Antony Ingram, Freelance car journalist and writer.

Antony and I met in unexpected circumstances (and thanks to twitter) when I created a mazda inspired t-shirt and was on the lookout for a local enough RX7 to grab some photos with. Antony being the gent kindly offered to let me pop over and get the photos and our friendship started there.

Often spotted at car events around the country, Antony's back catalogue of work is extensive and covers not only writing for EVO and Hagerty, but also publishing his own book on the MX-5 (which you can get here)

If you fancy a gander at the Photos I got of Antony's lovely RX-7 (which happened to be the Mazda press car) and possibly even some video footage we got on the road, it's up on the Patreon page.

As mentioned in the new outro, for mental health resources head to the Takona site

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Takona Tlks with Stuart Quick, a personal friend and a man helping keep people safer in their cars, we have an explore into the world of safety harnesses, retrofitting seatbelts, and wander down some automotive tales.

Stuart and I met over coffee in west London at a car meet, of course, and have become good friends ever since. We attended the Octane Magazine Historic Motoring Awards together, and often head to a lot of the same car events. Stuart has had some of his lovely cars on our stands at events like Radwood, and we're both regulars at the Wimbledon Southside Hustle, which means we've a fair few stories to share.

This episode is a long one, and meanders down some different roads, with stories across a broad range of topics.

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Had the absolute pleasure to sit and chat with Grant Williams to talk about his adventures racing, and the ups and downs that can bring. Most notably recognised for putting on a tremendous show at the Festival of Speed and the Goodwood races in his Iconic "BUY 1" Mk1 Jaguar, you know the photo of the Mk1 in a huge cloud of smoke on the Goodwood start line? yeah? that guy, a legend.

Grant is also the person who helped Williams Heynes get an engine sorted for the Goodwood Revival, a lovely moment to hear that story from another perspective, and to show just how much community there is around cars.

This is also the latest episode sponsored by Scalextric, Grants iconic “Buy 1” Jag was made into a Scalextric car! (You can get 10% off using Takona10 at checkout)

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From building iconic show cars, to planning a SEMA stand, Dale has built a reputation for some of the most innovate automotive marketing out there. 

Dale has been behind some huge successes in the automotive space, taking the Meguiars social media accounts to over 1 million followers and now working for Pipercross starting their resurgence into being the go to name for air filters.

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This episode Takona Tlks with racing driver Jake Hill. Currently competing in the BTTC for the Laser Tools team along with various bits of other motorsport such as historic racing in a variety of exciting cars, and taking the Calsonic R32 up the Goodwood Hill at the festival of speed.

A huge thank you to the Scalextric team for putting Jake and I in touch to make this episode happen, the continued support from them in not only sponsoring episodes but also helping make things happen really has been great (no they haven't paid me to say this).

You can get 10% off at Scalextric by using the code Takona at checkout.

To keep up with all things Takona head here.

To have a gander at what Jake is up to, head here.

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Takona Tlks with Neil Clifford, CEO of Kurt Geiger and well known petrol head. Neil kindly invited me down to Kurt Geiger HQ for a chat about how he got into doing what he does and how cars have played a pivotal role throughout his life.

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Takona Tlks with Giles Gunning, founder of The Classic Valuer, providing key pricing and valuations on classic cars. The Classic Valuer provide price guides, trends, and valuation reports across the classic and collector car market.

See more about Giles and The Classic Valuer at https://www.theclassicvaluer.com/

See more from Takona at https://www.takona.co.uk

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Takona Tlks with Dominic Taylor-Lane A regular face around much of the classic car community, and a man working to make a difference for the future of engineering skills. Dominic is the founder of the Association of Heritage Engineering, working to create a network of skilled craftspeople with a goal of passing on knowledge and helping future generations to maintain the engineering industry. Dominic is also one of the directors at the Classic Collective in Bicester, providing specialist service, set-up, upgrades, and maintenance for the classic car world, and bringing together a wide mix of people and skillsets to make classic car ownership more attainable and enjoyable.

You can find out more about AOHE here. More about Classic Collective here. and more about Takona here.

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Takona Tlks with Alex Robbins, freelance car journalist for the likes of the Telegraph, CarGurus, Kazoo, Drivetribe and What Car?. This November Alex will be walking from Mission Motorsport HQ in Oxfordshire all the way to Anglesey Race Circuit for the Race of Remembrance. We sat to chat about what he's been up to in preparation for the big walk, how it's been hugely influential for both his physical and mental wellbeing, and his time working as a journalist.

If you'd like to support Alex's walk you can do so through his just giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/alexwalks and to see some of his automotive work you can head here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/alex-robbins/

For all things Takona head to www.takona.co.uk

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Takona Tlks with Joel McNally brand manager for Kestrel Beer and the co founder of the Flying Kestrel project, taking a 1935 Riley Kestrel and breaking land speed records with it. We go through the project from inception to it's latest attempt at hitting 200mph.

Learn more about the Flying Kestrel at : https://theflyingkestrel.com/ and about Kestrel Beer at https://www.kestrelbeer.com/

Learn more about Takona at www.takona.co.uk

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If you've been to practically any major car event in the last few years you may have seen Rob, and possibly even had coffee from him.

Rob and I have become good friends over the last few years, thanks to his outgoing and vibrant personality, and his ability to make a stellar cup of coffee.

The boxed drinks coffee trucks have grown from a simple horse box trailer into a fleet of classic and vintage coffee trucks, a 2CV van, and a Land Rover Defender 90 Pickup. Instantly recognisable, and built from a passion for not only interesting vehicles, but fantastic style and humour around the liveries they wear.

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Takona Tlks with Efrem Brynin, the CEO and co-founder of the Strongmen charity. Strongmen aim to support men following bereavement and was started following Efrems own journey through the process of bereavement following the loss of his son.

This episode is one that really delves into the mens mental health topic, possibly in more depth than any other episode, and as such we talk about some quite heavy topics. If anything we talk about hits home and you're needing some support along with the Takona page of mental health resources - https://www.takona.co.uk/pages/mental-health-and-support - you can also speak with Strongmen for Bereavement focused help - https://www.strongmen.org.uk/ which is also the go to for all the pieces we've talked about in the episode.

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Takona Tlks with Miles Hardy, Sales director at HPC Classics in Eastbourne, and someone who's been a friend for a couple of years now. Miles has an incredibly deep knowledge on a broad range of cars, but his real passion is for all things TVR.

A true testament to how cars bring people together from all over, Miles and I had chatted here and there on facebook for a couple of years before ever actually meeting in person and when we did it was like we'd been best mates our entire lives.

See more from HPC Classics at https://www.hpcclassics.co.uk/

And all thinks Takona at www.takona.co.uk

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Takona Tlks with Alastair Moffatt, stunt driver, autotest champion, rally driver, and holder of 9 world records!

We had a good ol chat about how he got into doing what he does, some of the ups and downs of setting world records in cars, and how motorsports and cars have been at the core of his family.

A big thank you to Motorsport UK for hosting us in their HQ to record.

To see more of Alastair head to https://www.alastairmoffatt.com/

For more from Takona head to www.takona.co.uk

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Takona Tlks with Arun and Gareth ATD Vehicle Appearance Specialists, thats right, two guests!

We met at Great Northern Classics for a good chat about detailing, life, the universe and everything, meandering from cars to conspiracy theories and everything in between. An episode that really shows the chemistry these two have, as well as showcasing how relative strangers can sit and chat over their shared passion for the automotive.

Thank you to the Great Northern Classic team for letting us use their boardroom to record, you can see more of what they're up to at: https://www.greatnorthernclassics.co.uk/

Arun and Gareth can be found at: https://www.atd-vas.co.uk/

And of course, all things Takona are at www.takona.co.uk

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Takona Tlks with Andrew Brabyn, one of the co-founders of Zero West watches.

Andrew kindly invited me down to their design studio to record, which meant spending most of the time trying not to be distracted by the plethora of incredibly cool things they have on display, including an actual Spitfire engine from a plane that crashed in France during WW2. It's still coated in French mud! If you're a Patreon member you'll have already seen some video clips from inside the studio!

Zero West combine British engineering achievements and incredible stories with fantastic pieces of watch design to create some truly stunning pieces, you can learn more about them at: https://zerowest.watch/

As always more from Takona can be found at www.takona.co.uk

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Takona Tlks with Simon Hill, a motorsport specialist in a variety of ways, from racing cars, to commentating about motorsport for the likes of ITV and Motors TV, managing motorsport logistics, and even helping manage his son Jake Hill who recently became BTCC champion for 2024.

Simon is a familiar face around most paddocks especially when the touring cars are in town. We sat down in the Hilton at Silverstone for a good catchup about his career in and around the motorsport world.

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Takona Tlks with Simon Lane, a man who has been behind some of the coolest and most interesting special vehicle operations cars for the past few years, including the James Bond Goldfinger DB5 recreation cars, the Aston Victor, and the Fitipaldi Evija. We go through some of Simons fondest projects and the story of how a tough school start has lead him onto an amazing career within the automotive world.

If you're a Patreon member you'll have seen some of the amazing pieces Simon shared with me after our chat.

If you're not a Patreon member you can explore how to become one here: https://www.patreon.com/Takona

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Takona Tlks with Mark Foster, Formula one and Aston Martin Valkyrie Designer and founder of Rock Solid Rigs race simulator rigs. Mark and I talk through his career starting from entering Formula one, through to working with Adrian Newey on the Valkyrie, and now designing and building Racing Simulator Rigs.

See more of Marks Sim Rig work at www.rocksolidrigs.com and more from Takona at www.takona.co.uk

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Recorded in the car during a commute to work, the audio isn't perfect, but it was learning the process while having a go. 

The first of what will hopefully become a series. The Takona Morning Drive, our foray into podcasting and long form conversation.  

This first episode explains what Takona is, where the brand came from, and what direction things are aiming to head in.  

It's not polished, it's not big budget, but it is an insight and all done in one take on a morning drive. 

If it's something you enjoy please feel free to let us know in the comments. 

 https://www.takona.co.uk

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This episode I'm joined by car designer turned reverend, Adam Gompertz. Adam and I first met thanks to his brilliant Revs Limiter Facebook groups, who through lockdown and beyond have continuously been working to create community and drive mental health awareness through cars. We sat down together at Bicester Heritage, where Adam is the resident chaplain, to go through his past, and look to where Revs is heading. Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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This Episode Takona Tlks with George Williams, commercial car photographer and builder of a particularly purple Lotus Exile known as Hell Slow.

George has been shooting commercial grade photography for many years now, having worked with the likes of Zenvo, Maserati, Rimac, and Czinger to name a few.

To find out more about George and what he does you can visit his site here or search GFWilliams on socials.

For all things Takona head to our site here.

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This episode I sat down with Alberto Moreno Garcia, the founder of the Roadster App! I first came across Roadstr a couple of years ago and instantly got involved, an app designed for car enthusiasts, that provides tools to organise meets and events, plan routes and drives, and share automotive content, what more could a car enthusiast want!Since then, Roadstr and Takona have gone on to work together, utilising the app to create easy access for the coffees and cars meets, along with creating drives around the meets themselves. It was a real pleasure to sit down with the man behind the app and talk about where it came from, what it's doing, and where things are heading for the future. Anyone who's two car garage is made up of a GR Yaris and a 718 Cayman, is definitely someone who's about driving fun.  You can find the Roadstr app on Apple and Android, along with the usual social media outlets. Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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This episode of Takona Tlks is with Editor in Chief of Road Rat Magazine, Mikey Harvey. With a varied background within journalism and news we had an intriguing conversation into the back catalogues of Mike's working career, how Road Rat came to be, some of the challenges he and the team have faced and what's in store for the future. We also headed into a proper conversation about mental health and some rather close to home stories around the topic.

You can find out more about the Road Rat here.

As always you can learn more about Takona and what we do here.

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This episode Takona Tlks with Charlotte Vowden, freelance journalist for the likes of Hagerty and Mike Brewers Motoring amongst other diverse outlets. Charlotte and I have been around a fair few of the same events and people for the last couple of years giving us quite a bit of familiarity to catch up on. We explore what it's like to be a freelance journalist, life with a classic MGA and how it almost got trapped out at sea, and go down her previous works for the like of the Times.

A real pleasure to sit down and have a casual chat with someone who's name is growing pretty quickly within the automotive world, and rightly so.

Find Charlotte on Instagram Here.

As always find out more about Takona Here.

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This episode of the morning drive: I sat down with the wonderful Jon Bentley, a man I'd grown up watching on the likes of the Gadget Show and Fifth Gear, bumping into him at the Bicester Scramble was surreal, sitting with him for an hour and a half for my own podcast was a treat younger me would never have expected to happen.

Jon and I recorded this episode in a Skoda Yeti which was actually pretty good to record in, but there may still be some background noise from time to time. 

As always keep up with all things Takona at www.takona.co.uk

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This Episode Takona Tlks with Joe Achilles. From his start working in the fashion industry, his time spent on BMW forums, to now working full time on content creation, video journalism, and partnering with the likes of Michelin. Joe shares his story and we go off on a few interesting tangents here and there.

Find more of what Joe does over on his YouTube Channel

As always find more from Takona Here.

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This episode I am joined by Craig Cheetham of Practical Classics magazine, amongst many other things. Craig came over to visit for a shoot involving the plucky little Renault 5, and being the opportunist I kidnapped him for an hour to sit down and chat. A brilliant episode fun of interesting stories and insights into the motoring journalism world. Keep an eye out for the Takona feature in Practical Classics Magazine. Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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A special two guest episode!

Takona Tlks with both Jonny Smith and Richard Porter, together! We sat down ahead of their On That Live Of things recording at Bicester Heritage to have a chat about what they do, how they got started, and some of the weird and wonderful stories that have happened along the way.

This is practically a bonus episode of their own Smith and Sniff Podcast, with a Takona twist.

To learn more about Smith and Sniff head to their website Here.

For all things Takona head here.

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It's a Bonus episode!

The format for the Morning Drive is firmly rooted in guests and conversation. As a brand promoting talking it makes sense to lead by example and talk to people. 

That's why this is a bonus episode, it's just me.

As 2022 has started in a very positive way, coming out the blocks quickly. I wanted to take a minute to have a look back at 2021, go through how the year has started, and share some plans for the year ahead. 

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I sat down with a hugely inspiring young man, Louie Martin, his story is one of determination, overcoming huge adversity, and keeping a positive spirit throughout.

We met at a car morning down at goodwood motor circuit and I was blown away by both the story and by Louie.

The first half of the Audio isn’t the smoothest as the microphones failed when we recorded, but the story eclipses my technological shortfalls and provides for a great journey.

I hope it brings you inspiration.

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This episode I sit down with my mate Tim Oldland. Known for many things, including videos for BOTB, making bespoke electric car chargers, some very interesting 3D printed car parts, and generally having a good ol moan on Twitter. We met thanks to former podcast guest and all round nice guy Luke Harding (episode 10, go listen if you haven't already), and have been pals ever since.You can find Tim on Twitter @Tim_Oldland Go follow him and enjoy his entertaining ranting and brilliant work. Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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I sat down with Henry Catchpole of Carfection, Evo Magazine, and Intercooler fame. A renowned and respected car journalist, and an all round great guy. We talk his career, how his Carfection work came about, and some of the interesting stories from his career, a highlight episode for me personally, and a great listen. (Although I am biased)You can find Henry on Twitter @HenryCatchpole and Instagram @HenryCatchpole Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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In episode 2 I talked about looking at old cars to accompany the GT86, well I've bought one, and you can have a look! 

I also tell a story on some times spent with the Aston Martin Vulcan that featured on the Grand tour! 

For everything Takona : www.takona.co.uk 

To see the Vulcan spin chasing a P1 on track: https://youtu.be/1bHcwB5B9ig

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This episode of the Morning Drive: I sit down with automotive Journalist Stephen Dobie to talk about his adventures as an automotive journalist, from writing for Evo Mag to going freelance, we explore it all.

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I sat down with David, creator of The Car Crowd to talk about this exciting new automotive investment platform. In a world of crypto currency, stocks and share, and bewildering investment opportunity, the Car Crowd have an investment product you can actually look at, sit in, and appreciate.

See more about The Car Crowd Here

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Today I'm joined by a very special guest. Internationally acclaimed Jaguar XJ connoisseur, classic car "collector", personal classic car saviour, and my good friend; Luke aka Luden Automotive.

In a few of the podcasts I've been involved with, I've talked of the amazing connections I've made through the car world. I've spoken of the classic car world bringing people together and of the kindness and support I've received from the community. Luke is the embodiment of all of this, a very kind and generous guy, with a wealth of knowledge and a good sense of humour to boot.

This was a pleasure to record as well as being insightful and directly touching upon the core values that Takona stands for.

You can find Luke as Luden Classics predominantly on twitter and instagram as well as his website.

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This Episode Takona Tlks with Jack Cavanagh, the face of the Stjarna Gloss detailing brand. Jack has become pretty well known for his engaging and entertaining to camera pieces talking about detailing and the brand he's building. It was an absolute pleasure to sit and chat with Jack about where the brand came from, how it's grown and how he ended up filming for Top Gear! We go down into a deep chat about mental health, some of life's struggles, and some ways to manage when things get tough, a true example of how casual chat can be the gateway into a properly meaningful conversation.

For all things Stjarna Gloss head Here.

For more from Takona head Here.

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This episode of the morning drive: I sit down with Ben Pearson, best known for his time on the police interceptors. Ben met with me at the Motorist, after one of our coffees and cars meets, to have a chat about life as a police officer and how he came away from that career due to PTSD. Ben is now working hard to raise awareness for PTSD especially within the police force, by hosting events, writing books, giving talks, and more! He's really using his own experiences to help others and it was great to sit down and have a good chat about it all. 

We do touch upon some quite dark places, please consider this a trigger warning ahead of listening. 

You can find more about Ben and the work he's doing at his website benjamin-pearson.co.uk 

For all things Takona head to www.takona.co.uk

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We had a trip up to our coffees and cars meet at The Motorist in Yorkshire which turned out to be the perfect meeting place to sit down with our brand ambassador Alex denham.

Alex is a fantastic photographer, with a portfolio of stunning work to her name. Currently known for her motorsport work mainly, with a more diverse range on the horizon. Alex is someone I personally followed on social media and found to be inspiring, skilled, and openly talking about mental health in an honest and encouraging way.

We sat down and had a great chat about all things cars, cameras (and driving a C8 corvette to Le Mans) 

You can see more of Alex and her work over on her Instagram.

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Takona Tlks with Sam Moores, Podcaster, photographer, and car enthusiast. Sam very kindly invited me down to sit and chat with him about his life behind the camera shooting some pretty amazing cars, his podcasting with interesting people from within the automotive world (feels familiar), and we have a chat about some of the interesting and exciting cars he's had the good fortune to own and drive.

You can find Sam's podcast where you found this one by searching "Car Chat"

As always you can learn more about Takona on our website www.takona.co.uk

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This episode Takona Tlks with James Cameron, the founder of Mission Motorsport.

James shares the story of how Mission Motorsport came to be, some of the amazing work that they're doing, and a bit of back story into how it's so close to home for him.

You'll have seen both James and Mission Motorsport at various events around the country, what you might not have seen is the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes in working to help former military personnel re-enter the civilian working world.

In their own words "MISSION MOTORSPORT, THE FORCES’ MOTORSPORT CHARITY AIDS IN THE RECOVERY AND REHABILITATION OF THOSE AFFECTED BY MILITARY OPERATIONS BY PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH MOTORSPORT AND THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY"

You can learn more about Mission Motorsport Here.

And more about Takona Here.

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This episode of the Takona Tlks.: I sit down with Paul Cowland to talk all things cars, being on the TV, and some rather interesting tangents!

An hour and 25 minutes in Pauls Mic dies, I have tried my best to make him as clear as I can from what my mic picked up, it's noticeable initially but does get easier to listen to for the 10 or so minutes it took for me to realise. If I can fix it, I'll update the audio. If I can't, you'll have to soldier through.

You can find all things Paul Cowland Here.

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This episode Takona Tlks with Matt Goodwin of High Peak Autos. Matt runs a YouTube channel alongside his car dealership, giving people a pretty transparent insight into just what it takes to make that business successful. We go through his story of starting from scratch buying 7 cars for £1,000, to running a successful business along with a YouTube channel, and everything in between.

To learn more about High Peak Auto, click Here.

For all things Takona, head Here.

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The first episode to not have a youtube counterpart!  I sat down with Mike, owner of 4T/ Squisita and Matt of SFJ Photography after the cars and coffee morning to chat cars, coffee and just general life, the intention is for this to become a regular thing to give us the potential for an episode every two weeks.  It's barely edited, and quite long. Enjoy! Get bonus Takona content on Patreon

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