The season opener at Volksworld

I know we went to our first VW show of the year last Saturday, but today was the official start to the show season. Sandown race course is the venue for the Volksworld show. For the last few years we’ve been up at the crack of dawn to get over to Surrey and on the club stand, this year we would be there as punters so after a lazy wake up drifted over and parked up half an hour before the doors opened. We missed the worst of the traffic and got to look round the carpark as well. Lily was getting very excited at the prospect of her first big show.









After a welcome cuppa from Jeff in the for sale area, we joined the short queue and we soon inside, first stop the parade arena outside, home to the Split Screen and Early Bay line ups.







Hightop Spilt Screen panel vans seemed to be flavour of the month, we spotted five in total.



A very well travelled Baja.



Passing through the main hall we aimed for the club stand areas next and after a quick natter to the hard working chaps on the LTV stand we took another stroll round. There are often Dubs of a very high standard that should really be inside on plinths lined up outside as well as some great displays. Like last year I felt the club area was spoilt by one massive stand again, it dominated the section and wasn’t really in the spirit of the rest of the clubs.











Pausing on the steps for some lunch we reflected on how good the show was, in the past my view of the show has usually been a flying dash round at 9am taking snaps followed by a day flyering, this year we actually got to see the cars and take it all in. After a hectic few months my VW mojo was being restored once more. Full up we aimed inside to start with the first of the two floors of traders and show cars.









Having fought our way round we took a breather at the LTV stand for a pitstop. We spied some dodgy characters getting up to no good!



Wheres that tomato gone?





Just adjusting my nozzle!



With the afternoon getting on we headed inside for the last hall. Last year saw the amazing Tamiya replica Baja on show, this years oddity was this life sized Radio Flyer.











It was hungry work looking at Dubs, so we nabbed an ice cream and watched the “Bug Stuff”





With a bout of shopping and some goodbyes we took the long route back to the carpark taking a final few snaps.









And with that it was all over for another year. We got to catch up with some good friends, bought a couple of bits for the Beetle we needed, furnished our lounge with some cool art work and introduced Lily to the world of Volkswagens.



The rest of the photos are here, thanks for looking.

Steve.


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Dubaid "Help for Heroes"

As I chipped the ice off the Passat this morning I decided it was a very good decision not to camp out at Castle Combe in March. As we arrived on site at Dubaid and heard the tales of –6°C over night, my choice was further cemented! Organised in double quick time following a discussion on VZi about a way to pay our respects to Wootton Basset and its residents for every time they have lined the streets to honour repatriated troops. The idea of a cruise of Dubs came about and with a start point needed the race track grounds at Castle Combe were eventually chosen, to give everyone something to do before Sundays cruise a massive camp out, show’n’shine and trader line up was arranged for the day and bands for the evenings. From small acorns and all that. Having been a bit out of the loop we parked up in the day visitors area and walked round to where a few LTVers had made camp, it was like old times again.



We borrowed a chair and settled down for lunch as Lily got to meet lots of new friends and have more cuddles than she knew what to do with.



The drink was already flowing and the dancing had started.



After lunch we headed off to check out the show.





There was a sizeable show’n’shine to keep us entertained with such oddities as this roof chopped Bay.











It wasn’t just air-cooled cars on show, the water pumpers had a good turnout too.





As we circled the campsite we spied a frazzled Keebs in full on organiser mode, relieving him of some cider we promised to get along to the charity auction later in the afternoon and bid.





Back on camp more people had arrived and chatted for a while soaking up the sunshine and brilliant blue skies.





Before the gang headed for the auction tent, wallets bulging and ready to spend.



Inside Keebs held court with his finest “I’m a little teapot” impression.





As the lots appeared the bidding was a little slow, but Pete heckled and jeered until the cash began to flow, earlier in the day we had spied a rather nice clock built from an old chrome hubcap. It was suddenly held aloft and with approval from Lily I entered a mini bidding war settling on £45 in aid of “Help for Heroes”



With most of the lots gone and the rest heading for eBay, we decided to head home, the sun was going down and it was getting chilly, as ever it took us another hour to say goodbye before pointing the toasty warm Passat Eastwards. It was great to catch up with the old crowd again, and to introduce Lily to her first proper Volkswagen show, she was asleep before she got in the car.



The rest of the photos are here. And you can find out more about the show here

Steve.

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