Vanwest

For my first real camp out of last year, I headed to Vanwest in the South West.

Last year’s show report on Vanwest is a later than usual, when we heard the news that the site that Vanwest had been at for a number of years no longer wanted them there, we wanted to give the small team behind the show enough time to find a new home and get things rolling before going to print.

I’m still shocked that the site doesn’t want hundreds of awesome VW’s at their campsite, but that’s their decision… I loved the show at that site, I have been attending for a number of years as a day visitor, then as a camper and then later for the magazine. What I’ve come to realise though is it wasn’t the campsite that I loved, it was the show that was put on, the VWs from far and wide that made the annual trip to the South West.

The variety of entertainment and of course the great people and atmosphere that all of this created. This could be uprooted and taken anywhere, and the show will still go on—so whereas originally when I first heard the news, I was gutted, I’m now looking forward to seeing what the team can do with the new site.

But this piece is supposed to be about 2019. There are several over events that I attend before Vanwest, but Vanwest is always my first big camp out of the year, Its where everything gets dragged along and I move myself into a field for a long weekend, with extra nights camping available, for me at least it makes sense to make the most of the show and the trip to stay the extra night.