Paul Knight whisks us along a fun-filled, 36-hour road trip to the Freddy Files show in Ninove, Belgium
For those amongst us who have attended a Freddy Files gathering in the past, the format will make perfect sense, however if you’ve never been before, you’d be forgiven for thinking that, on paper at least, it seems like quite an unorthodox set-up. i.e. we’re essentially talking about a whirlwind 36-hour tour of Europe to attend a one-day event in early March!
Yes, I think I’d better start at the top and explain exactly how this wild weekend works…
The master plan
Chatting with my good friends / regular camping crew Jolly Jim Warner and Peter Simpson on New Years Eve we concluded that we were missing the VW show season and that we should make an effort to kick 2018 into shape by hitting as many events as possible. And so, it was decided that we’d head over to Belgium to check out the annual Freddy Files event, which would be themed ‘The Thing Fling’ this time round.
The Freddy Files is organised by our old buddy Frederic Peeters (hence the Freddy Files title), this event has grown into a pretty major gathering over the years, and certainly has quite a following. It’s also unlike any UK event in as much as it is 100% air-cooled only and it’s not held at a showground or campsite, but simply takes place on the streets around the centre of a small town.
Held in the Belgian town of Ninove, the show is actually just a oneday affair (the Sunday) however, many people arrive early and stay over, hence there is a more casual gathering on the Saturday at a local brewery for those early birds.
The organisers also hold a ‘prebooked’ dinner / meet-up on the Saturday night, however the local bars and restaurants are always full, making this one of the liveliest evenings of the year in Ninove!
This story is from the Spring 2018 edition of VW CAMPER & BUS.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Spring 2018 edition of VW CAMPER & BUS.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
T5 Buyers Guide
If you want a large, practical VW you can stamp your mark on and drive daily, perhaps it’s time you look at buying a T5? Here’s what you need to check
Germany Calling
Cycling and sight-seeing whilst taking in plenty of history along the way.
Village Bus
A RHD Barndoor Deluxe Bus is an incredibly rare and very desirable vehicle and Carl Elliott’s superb ’54 is perhaps the best example anywhere in the world!
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit
As the saying goes, it’s only original once. Fortunately, this retired fruit pickers Bus had been left to ripen in a farmer’s barn
Family 'Wagen
What do you do when you have a kick-ass Ghia but a large family? Simple. You build a kick-ass Bay Window Microbus as well
Status Cymbal
When drummer Nick Robin’s AA card was taking too much of a beating it was time to visit VW Downunder
I Is For Industrial
While the best place for an air-cooled VW engine will always be in the back of a VW, the industrial variants have ended up in many unexpected places as well. Including a very big gun…
Still Doin' It
After a hard working life, three engines and two restorations, you’d think this Pick-up had earned its retirement. Not quite
The Freddy Files
Paul Knight whisks us along a fun-filled, 36-hour road trip to the Freddy Files show in Ninove, Belgium
Readers' Rides
Your pride and joy is our delight to share, so here they are