Titanic Dubs 2020
For us car enthusiasts, it has been a very rough year. Relying on the entertainment sector actually existing to hold a car event has been the thorn in the backside of show organisers and goers alike. This year has been truly awful but last weekend, the good guys at GTINI gave us a glimmer of hope for the future.
With the exception of 2019, I've attended the Thompson dry dock in Belfast six consecutive years and with this virus swirling uncontrollably, I was pretty gutted that my streak would be coming to a permanent end. Until one Tuesday afternoon, just two weeks from the proposed date, the organisers made it happen.
I'm not gonna lie, I had pretty high hopes considering this would be the only public modified car event worth talking about in Ireland this year. You see, over the years and as a result of a 'first come first in' policy, the standard of car on display at Titanic Dubs has slipped and unfortunately 2020 would be no different. This has absolutely zero reflection on the organisers but as a photographer hoping for some tasty metal on the opposite side of my lens, I was left with little to choose from. The event has taken more of a cars and coffee style and you know what, I'm OK with it.
Having said that, the good cars stood out. And so do their owners. Titanic Dubs, for me, has become much more about the people than it has the cars. It was hugely refreshing and moral boosting to walk around bumping into guys I hadn't seen in almost a year. Nothing beats a good catch up, chatting nonsense about cars.
The event was a timely reminder that there is hope for the future of car shows as we live in this messed up and panic stricken world. For that, a huge thanks has to go to GTINI for putting their reputation on the line and taking a risk. It paid off.
Roll on year eight.
Event: Titanic Dubs
Location: Titanic Quarter, Belfast