Air Monkeys Issue 2 by Air Monkeys

Welcome to Air Monkeys The Air Monkeys Crew: Joe EynonEditor, Writer, Photographer Edd ThorpeWriter, Contributor Samantha EynonWriter, Graphic designer, Illustrator, Photographer Martin CoxEvents Organiser, contributor Contributors: Scott ‘Donnyburger’ Mitchell, James Owen, Toby Walker, wearesoup.com, Isabelle Foley, Wesley Mann, Shawn Gill, Helen Williams, Ian Wood, Charlotte Atherton, Lauren White, Richard Thorpe

Front cover photo taken by Samantha Eynon Inside cover photo take by Joe Eynon

Hello and thank you for having a look at issue 2 of the Air Monkeys magazine. In issue one we gave you some fantastic vehicles and we would like to thank the owners for being a part of the first issue. Also, a big thank you to all of you who took the time to have a look at it, we’ve been overwhelmed with the support you have given us! In this second issue we are attempting to bring you a snapshot of one of the most famous cars ever made throughout the years; the Beetle. We have got features on 3 lovely specimens. Including Stephen Key’s Nigerian bug. A super rare machine that is more unique than any other beetle out there! Amongst the beetles we also have plenty more to keep you entertained including a review of EBI and Deva Dubs and Rods, technical features and shop tours. We’ve even crossed the Atlantic to get you the best in the scene. We hope you enjoy it as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it. Remember to keep in touch with us via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Issuu! Plus we’ll be at many of the UK shows over the next few months. So come find us and say Hi.

What’s inside? Regular Features Spanked! Cool Sh*t Technical Focus Earworm Shop Tour Show Reports

Van Jamboree

‘72 Kafer

BVF

Alexis Taylor’s ‘65 Beetle

Stephen Key’s Rad Nigerian Bug!

Show Report | Van Jamboree

Van Jamboree words and pics: Samantha and Joe Eynon

e rocked up to Van Jamboree, at the Lincolnshire Showground, on Sunday 22nd May, and to begin with it felt like we had missed the party! We couldn’t tell if some of the stalls were being set up or taken down, and it later turned put many people did decide to leave early.

This however, was due to no fault on the organiser’s part or even the traders. Who was to blame..... the dreaded wind! It picked up throughout the day sending stallholder’s products flying, and it made us go a little all over the place on the way home too! Luckily the day before had been much fairer, and the people we spoke to, who had turned up on the Saturday and camped over, told us it had been great. Despite the interference of the weather many fantastic vehicles turned up for the show and shine, which was definitely the main draw of the day. It was nice to see that not all the vehicles that turned up for it were vans; there was a lovely Karmann Ghia and some tidy bugs and a beach buggy. Plus we still got to enjoy some cracking strawberries and a great acoustic set, so we’re looking forward to next year and crossing our fingers for better weather for it!

Show Report | Van Jamboree

Nice wheel detailing

The Green Machine

Words by Joe Eynon Pictures by Wesley Manns

Feature Vehicle | ‘72 beetle

n this modern age of vehicle modification, where most people try to follow current fashions to belong to a particular scene, this car is refreshing. If you ask most people, who own an air-cooled VW, what their dream VW is, they will not only given you a specific model and year but a style and stance. This can be Callook, Old-speed, Resto-cal, German look, Rat look or just a stock ride, (plus many many more styles). I am struggling to pin point Wes Manns’ 72 Kafer to a scene. He has created a unique looking ride that stands out from the crowd.

The 25-year-old stock manager from Antwepen, Belgium has not been into classic VW’s for long. In fact for his early driving years he was involved in Belgium’s Tuningscene where he owned, modified and drove a 2006 Corsa C. It took a lifechanging event to rescue Wes from the world of body kits and big exhausts and place him into a world of German metal and Flat Four engines. Wes had to overcome cancer at an early age and it was this illness that made him realize he was bored of the normal

modification of modern cars. He decided he wanted a classic car to use at weekends. Due to Belgium’s strict classic car laws owners cannot use their historic vehicles for commuting. This though does not stop the Flemish producing some amazing vehicles, (just ‘Google’ Sanchez Gianni’s Baron Volksrod or Pierre Finet’s Opel Rekord on air ride, for proof of what this small country can produce). After having a ride inside a friend’s 1965 Swedish beetle, Wes was sold on the world of the air-cooled scene.

< It took a life-changing event to rescue Wes from the world of body kits and big exhausts and place him into a world of German metal and Flat Four engines >

Wes purchased the 72 in February 2010 and since then he has stamped his personality all over the car. So much individuality has been heaped upon this car that it has attracted attention from all over the globe. He saw the beetle on ratlookvw.be and ended up buying it. The previous owner had done a lot of restoration work already. This though was perfect for Wes as it gave him the perfect blank canvas. He is a big fan of the hotrod and custom car scene, performing photo shoots in his spare time, and those passions show in the work carried out on this car. The bodywork was tiptop so it left Wes time to get the personal touch lavished upon the car such as the custom paintjob on the doors. Wes designed the skull logo on Photoshop and then commissioned someone to paint them. The wheels and white wall tyres add to the custom look.

Feature Vehicle | â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;72 beetle

< Wes has stamped his personality all over the car > The beetle was then lowered by the capable mechanics at De Garaasj, who fitted an adjustable stock width beam and tweaked the rear down one spline. Standard brakes are covered with those vibrant 4.5 and 5.5x15 red wheels and 135/75 and 185/65 Federal tyres. The interior is very minimalistic using stock seats, black door cards with no headline or carpet. A stock radio sits proudly in the dashboard added to the simple but deliberate feeling when sitting in it. A stock 1200 engine with a BBT Sport exhaust sits in the rear. The beetle is used for cruising in the summer, so the 1200 engine does the job perfectly. The car that Wes has managed to create is uplifting. He could of easily followed to crowd and fitted pre 67 front wings and every chrome part available, or he could of rubbed the paint back to allow nature to take its course, but he did not choose those paths. Instead he created the car he wanted to have. Maybe, just maybe, he has started his very own scene. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to keep an eye out to see who joins him for the ride!

Film Review | Senna

t Air Monkeys HQ we have been waiting for around two years with excitement for the release of Senna. As a massive fan of Formula One I have a massive amount of respect for the late Ayrton Senna so this movie was a must see! The film documents the career of the three times world champion, during his decade at the pinnacle of motorsport. It emotionally reveals the twists, turns and controversy caused by the Braziliansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; effect on the world. It uses archive footage and witness testimonies giving the viewer the feeling of being there at the time. The movie made me feel more empathy than ever for Senna. The way that the director, Asif Kapadia, portrays the F1 community sheds an unsavoury light upon the FIA in its darkest days and shows the battles that Senna had to overcome.

The movie ends with the fatal Imola weekend that took two drivers lives and changed the world of motorsport forever. No motorsport fanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life is complete until they have watched this movie. That statement may appear a little strong, but then again if you think that you probably havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen the movie! I entered the theatre having the upmost respect for Senna but I left looking at him as an icon.

Words and pics by Edd Thorpe

The sweet smell of burning rubber, high octane race gas and tortured clutch plates, bright heavy-metal flake paint glittering in the scorching summer sun, cold beer in hand – California in the 80’s? NO! Chimay – well and truly in the 21st century!

Show Report | EBI

he European Bug-In is only on show no. 4 – yet has firmly secured its stake as the epicentre of the Nostalgia Gasser scene in mainland Europe. This is the only show to reflect upon, with misty eyes, ‘ the golden era’ of VW drag racing, and hark back to a time that , probably, most of us weren’t there for the first time round! A purely non-competitive event, the show focuses on enjoying the cars, in the words of ‘Dyno’ Don Chamberlain: “ It’s not about how fast you run at EBI – its about how much fun you have.. So may the best man or woman win or lose!” Now Dyno Don was there the first time round – and knows better than anybody the ins and

outs of VW drag racing, as the main commentator for the NHRA affiliated Bug In’s held at the Orange County International Raceway, California. As an homage to these days it was only fitting that Don should take the role as host for the weekend, rousing the crowds with his regular outbursts of his baseball-themed fanfare – to be mimicked un relentlessly round the campsites! He often had the crowds cheering the mighty bugs when pitched against V8s from the likes of the Black Listed fast back, or the Fun Trike bug – ensuing a joking BOO!! From the crowds as these V8s lined up against flat 4s, much the same as back in the day! Not only was Dyno Don here the first time but the Schley Brothers, Mark and Paul, actually competed in their legendry Lightning Bug. The freshly build replica of their original campaign car was only just finished in time for the show – handled by the Paint Box in Essex England. Paul said: “this car was a real surprise to everyone including us. There was nothing said about this car being here before today, nothing on the internet, nothing! We have only seen the finished product here on the Friday of the show. And let me tell you it looks exactly the same as when we raced all those years ago! It’s perfect!” Lightning Bug saw stiff ‘competition’ from the

likes of the original and freshly restored Tar Babe, Ned Bug, Small Wonder, The Painter, the Inch Pincher replica, Dyno Pincher, Lil Snort, Mouse Trap and many many more. The mix of out ‘n out gassers such as these and super sweet, clean Cal-look street bugs makes for a fantastic sight that you just don’t find anywhere else! Now it couldn’t go without mentioning the fantastic efforts of one Russell Ritchie, of Gasser Garage fame, heralding from Scotland. Russell has dedicated himself to amassing the world’s largest, and most enviable collection of originalrestored and replica gasser drag cars ever! The Gasser Garage brought along a fantastic collection of no fewer than 8 cars!! The cars really are the stars of the show, and the UK was well represented here from the likes of the Outlaw Flat Four crew, Team Jager Bug, Crazy Canuck Racing (which you will read much more about in our ‘in the pits section’). The outlaws had some teething trouble from the 500 horse VW Type 1 Turbo powered Renault Dauphine piloted by Lee Maynard, but once it hooked up this went on to gain the Fastest E.T of the show!!

Show Report | EBI If, for whatever reason, any spectators wanted a break from the ‘racing’ I’m sure the 500(!!) cars entered into the Show and Shine competitions (perhaps more hotly contested than the strip action!!) or the dedicated Off-Road Arena, the Slalom course coned out on the street, or the masses of swap meet and trade stall would provide that break. Set out at the Chimay International Raceway, Belgium, the show sprawls out across the entire infield area up the first 8th mile or so along the ‘strip’ (which in keeping with the Euro craziness is more “road” than “drag strip”!) and spills out onto 3 remote campsites located adjacently to the main show, and across the partially closed off street to 2 more campsites. Between these lies the aforementioned slalom course. The layout works really well, letting you take in all of the show whilst winding your way up to the top of the site and taking a seat either in the grandstand or perched on the grass banks to watch the fun on the strip. The general vibe of EBI was a sheer mix of a chilled out, laid back event, combined with some out and out craziness. Every time you thought you’d seen it all something else would crop up and blow you away. Its really hard explaining to someone how rare the car you’ve just seen is, when there’s a whole bunch more further round the site. 20 Type 34 Razor Ghias in a row anyone? Unheard of in the UK – but all part of the scenery in Chimay!! 17 inch rims are BIG business (literally) in Belgium, with countless cars rolling big versions of Fuchs, Randars and BRMs. My particular favourite 17 clad car was the crazy patina’d Split Window Beetle, rolling detailed Fuchs, it just worked!! There was as much to take notice of in both the show and shine and around the campsites, as well as the traffic on the main site!

As the sun set and the strip closed the smell of burning rubber lingered on, not only from the strip, but thanks to the new EBI 4 ‘Burnout Arena’ – requires no explanation really does it? This saw some spectacular tyre shredding section from the likes of Alex ‘Jesus’ Leiserach who never fails to disappoint in smoking up the rear tyres on his super slick low light Bay. Other sterling efforts came from mean street buggies, Lo Light Karmann Ghias, and a drag entered oval, which limped away minus a stinger exhaust after a rather enthusiastic doughnut – it was still out on the strip the next day though! That’s the beauty of the gutsy nature of the show, where you can see all the hard work that goes into the drag cars with the open pit lanes! It seems the saying “build it, break it and build it again” rings rather true! The show apparently grows time after time, and this year saw the largest crowd yet for the Friday, according to Dyno Don. Not only does the show grow in size, but in quality too, going by the fantastic array of cars scooping up awards such as Best Beetle/Ghia/Post Barndoor era Splitty, Barndoor Splitty, Bay Type 3, Resto Cal/Cal Look, Custom, ‘Other’ and the comedy ‘worst of show’ (which went to a 54 barndoor 11 window kombi which was literally nailed together around a timber frame, with barely a panel intact! Flintstones style floor was the order of the day here!) The fasted High top Splitty was won rather by default by the Wind Split! Best Female and Most Consistent Female was won by Helen Williams of Crazy Cannuck Racing (UK) fame! The most unfortunate trophy was actually the Best Slalom, which was won rather posthumously by a rather war torn Notchback, whose back end met the Armco surrounding the course!

Show Report | EBI

<‘Burnout Arena’ – requires no explanation really does it?> The European Bug In was, for me, a massive tick off the Bucket list, as Paul Schley described, “we Americans have what we call ‘Bucket Lists’ – things to do before you kick the bucket, and for us this is definitely at the top!” The Schley brothers left with a fantastic promise – the basis of which is reason enough to make the pilgrimage to EBI 5 alone: The return of the original Lightning Bug 2 !!! This has apparently been found in Puerto Rico and is currently undergoing restoration back to exactly how it was ‘back in the day’ roof chop and all! Been Inspired to attend Europe’s only dedicated Nostalgia Gasser event? Well you have two years to plan and save for it as EBI 5 will be in 2013, to follow suit with the shows 2 year cycle and as Kobus Cantraine said, “to give us more time to find more fields!”

Show Report | EBI

In The Pits!

words and pics: Helen Williams

Representing the UK at EBI 4 were Crazy Cannuck Racing –Helen Williams tells us more about the club and provides a unique insight into EBI 4 – racers eye view!! CCR has been going since 2007, starting with ShaneR’s Westy with myself crewing. It has really has grown since then! At EBI we we’re running 3 cars: Canuck 2 ‘Gerard’ (me!)

I was running 16.8 seconds and the highlight was winning two trophies which were Best Female and Most Consistent Female!

Canuck 0.5 ‘Sick Bubblegum’ (Graeme Freeman)

Canuck 4 ‘Recycler’ (Tinker Bell)

Tinker was running his 1957 sunroof black oval with a 2165cc and 1300 gearbox. He went on to get personal best of 13.2 seconds during the weekend. Graeme made his debut with the car (he’s been building it for 3 years!!) Until EBI he hadn’t run it, so towed it all the way there without knowing if it would work. He had special permission to race at EBI as it is a classic bug with a Subaru Legacy engine. Even though it was running a Subaru engine the crowd loved it as it’s different. He ran 14.5 seconds on low boost with no nitrous, so we reckon that the car will fly (low 10 seconds) when it’s at full power!

What makes EBI special for us is the laid back atmosphere of the show,x and racing against so many spectacular race cars. It’s proper old school drag racing - having fun, enjoying the cars, then sharing a beer. No real ‘competition’ - just making your car perform as you want it too then hanging out with your mates. The pits at EBI are so friendly, just everyone enjoying the same thing. The race track is just a road yes, but the layout is fantastic, the grandstand is always full, and I’m never nervous, I’ve always just got a big grin on my face. It’s definitely all of our favourite place to race.As a team, CCR are really close mates and always there for each other - it takes a big group effort for us to get our cars on the track. My car was towed all the way there by Mike Outhwaite, and he and Shane R crewed for us. Our ‘extended family’ (not officially CCR) is Matt Attwood in the Black Listed Fasty who won Fastest Type 3. We always camp with him in the pits. CCR have a reputation for partying as hard as we race (some would say harder!) so as usual our pit area was kitted out with a PA system, disco lights and smoke machine, and everyone is welcome to come and share a beer after racing. We had all the mod cons - the boys also rigged up a power shower for us using an Evian bottle, car battery, pump and a hose pipe - it had a shower curtain and everything!In CCR style, it wouldn’t have been a proper road trip if it had gone smoothly - on the way home, Graeme’s tow vehicle alternator broke, and Matt’s tow vehicle fuel tank and pump broke. The guys fitted the tank and pump from the race car in the back of the tow vehicle but it meant stopping every 35 miles to refuel the tiny race tank and swap batteries! If you would like to follow more of the Crazy Cannuck’s progress hit em up at: www.crazycanuckracing.com

Cool

Nefarious Pinstriping

We love Pinstriping when it’s done well, and this fella certainly knows his stuff! Pinstriping everything from cars, guitars, to (as you can see) Loo seats! Each item is an individual piece of art Based in Farnborough, Hampshire, but also can be found at shows country wide Tel: 01252 405450 Mob: 07778 764866 www.pinstriping.co.uk

Top Book Following on from ‘My Cool Caravan’, comes ‘My Cool Campervan’ The first book was chock full of gorgeous photos of awesome retro and vintage caravans and their interiors. One flick through was enough to make you want to go out and get one. This book is much the same, but focuses on campervans, though it doesn’t just look at VW’s (despite one being on the cover) but looks at Commers, Bedfords, Fiat and more. A great book for any fan of campervans in their many forms! Available from Amazon

Sh*t

Top Tee

Being children of the 80’s we all loved ‘Back to the Future’ and wanted a Delorean, especially one fitted with a Flux Capacitor, oh and also one of those hoverboards! So this T-Shirt is right up our street! Even better it is available in both men’s and women’s sizes! Available from www.truffleshuffle.co.uk

Boomcase ™ Old suitcases are cool, boom boxes are cool, and when the two get together and make babies, they make the ‘Boomcase™” which is inevitablly cool! All handcrafted by Mr Simo, each one is a Portable Suitcase Stereo system that works with your iPod/iPhone or any device with a headphone plug. TheBoomCase will last 9+ hours on a single charge (Charger Included). But can also be plugged in. They are custom made to the users specification, so unsurprisingly they don’t come cheap, and are US based. M!

BOO

However, many people have started making their own, and keep your eye out for them popping up at shows! http://blog.theboomcase.com/

Technical Focus A round up of some of the best and coolest products for your VW

Air Monkeys technical pages are sponsered by Sixty7 Wheelhaus. They are able to refurb your alloy or steel wheels to a top quality finish at a great price. Give them a shout now to get a quote. 07905 797 091 or thorpys_bro@hotmail.com

Ever been driving along in your splitscreen bus and had nowhere to put your Starbucks or Red Bull, (or whatever keeps you going after a festival weekend). AAC in the UK have found a solution. They are in limited numbers so grab them now and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never have to hold your drink between your knees again! www.aircooledaccessories.com ÂŁ34.99

Retro Sound from the USA produce some amazing stereos for classic cars. Using classic designs and materials with modern technology, their stereos can fit into the factory dashboard cut outs. If wanted you can use their hidden speakers to allow you to have your favourite tunes whilist not ruining the look of your vehicle. The US company have many European dealers including VW Heritage and Moss.

VKS Parts is the place to go if you are rebuilding your VW after a restoration. They stock a large amount of New Old Stock and hard to find parts. All those little parts that are either impossible to get, or when you do the quality is poor, are things of the past. Head over to www.vks-parts.com to have a look.

Karmann Konnection have reproduced a top quality replica VWOA roofrack for pre 1979 VW Buses. Made from superb materials and available in white, black or silver. For an extra £30 they’ll produce it in other colours too. www.karmannkonnection.com £540.00

CumbriaVAG

questions by Edd Thorpe photos by Ian Wood www.ianwoodphotography.com

Ever wondered just what goes into putting on a VW show? Ever thought “How hard can it be…? We take 5 minutes with Scott ‘Donny Burger’ Mitchell to talk Cumbria VAG. Q - So where did the idea for the show come from, and how did it first get off the ground? A - It all started when a local show - The Volkswagen Annual Gathering at Leighton Hall, was put to bed for reasons I’m not going to get into. It was our local show, and we (as in CumbriaVAG) always had a good attendance with it being so local, and from the clubs in the North of England. Being an avid showgoer, and disappointed about not having a show on our doorstep, myself and co-organiser and good friend, Stefan Duff, decided to take it on ourselves. There’s loads of shows in the UK, how hard could it be?!

Show Report | CumbriaVAG

Q - What goes into organising a show like this and making it the success it has become? A - As we are only 2 shows in, it’s been all about getting ourselves promoted, especially in year 1. We spent literally hundreds of hours across all the VW /Audi forums (around 60 in total!), facebook, twitter, placing flyers on local cars, going to shows to hand out flyers, and generally getting as many people to advertise us by word of mouth as possible. We already had a venue in mind. Heaves Hotel (literally 5 minutes from my door!) is already a venue for a long-running Ford RS owners show, and a classic car show that we attend anyway. A chat with the owners quickly resulted in us booking a date way in advance (after checking all the other show dates to try and prevent major clashes), and the realisation we were in it for the long haul. The rest of the organising is a case of finding traders and clubs to attend. You can’t really have much of a show without either, and as we were new on the scene, getting traders to attend, even for free, was difficult to say the least as it’s always an unknown for them. Nevertheless, we had some attend, they had a nice day, and some came back this year! As with any event, money is a deciding factor. It needed paying for, and things need buying. As we had the opportunity, it was decided we’d fund it ourselves, but ask for help as much as possible. The local VW / Audi dealership (Hadwins Volkswagen and Lake District Audi) were contacted to see if they wanted to attend in return for some corporate sponsorship, and to our astonishment, they agreed to it instantly. They gave us a promise of turning up with some new cars, and some absolutely indispensable cash. Without their help we would have been stopped in our tracks. Additionally, a local VW specialist garage - Station Garage - asked if they could have some involvement, to which we obviously said yes! They paid for all the trophies to be made, and selected who would be going home with them on the day!

Q - What kind of format do you put on the show? A - All we initially set out for is ‘just a show’, but after going to other events at Heaves, and other VW/ Audi shows, we wanted to put the spin on having a very chilled out event. Just turn up, clean your motor if you want, have a look around the cars, have some food and drink, see who wins what and go home. A simple plan for a single day show, and by all accounts, one that’s worked. The feedback confirmed this, and it’s a lovely thing to see strangers congratulating the organisers, and extremely humbling. Q - From this years perspective - how did the show go for you, and what could the showgoers expect to find from it? A - This year, in our opinion, was a roaring success. Year 1 resulted in around 600 folk attending, which we thought was pretty good, but that was blown away this year when we had 1,400 people attend, and filled the grounds of the hotel. There is room for a few more, with some better planning, and we’re looking to have it up to the rafters next year! The big difference it seems is in word of mouth. CumbriaVAG 2010 left everyone happy, and they told everyone else. This was apparent with the traders too. Everyone who traded this year made their enquiries to us, which meant we had to do no chasing at all, and that made an enormous difference to the amount of worrying we did. It felt like everything was falling into place a lot easier. As for the showgoers, they can expect to find some fantastic cars from the North of England sat in a really great setting. Most of all is the atmosphere though - relaxed.

Show Report | CumbriaVAG

Q - Finally - what can we expect from next years show? Is there anything you’ve found you could improve on from this years show? A - Next year we fully expect more of the same. More people, more cars, more traders, more quality and more happy faces. We don’t charge much (it’s only £5 a head, and we work on the policy that if you’re not old enough to drive, you shouldn’t have to pay), and don’t expect to be putting this up next year, so it helps when folk don’t have to spend the earth. Personally, I’d like to see more aircooled, as I’m that way inclined, but every car that turns up is someone’s pride and joy, and they are all welcomed in the same way. There are a few improvements to be made, I’d be worried if the wasn’t. We posted on a few forums for honest feedback from everyone, and the comments from there have been taken on board. Better signage so folk don’t get lost, a P.A. system is required, as I was told not everyone could hear me announcing the winners of all the trophies, and some kind of uniform for the staff. This has already been put in place. Our main concern is that we won’t fit everyone in next year! The main event for next year will hopefully be a car that will be raffled off for charity. We (as a club) have bought a Mk1 Passat in need of lots of love and attention, and we’re on the lookout for companies and people who can help us restore it to stunning condition. We’ve already bought some lovely wheels for it, but it needs a stripdown, some welding, a respray, a carpet and a few bits and bobs replacing. It’s a pretty rare thing, so parts are hard to come by! All in all we’re going to have a fantastic CumbriaVAG 2012, and can’t wait for it to come round again! I must send out massive thanks to Stefan Duff - co-organiser. He covered 14 miles on the day, running around telling people where to park. An enormous friend, also. More thanks go out to the already-mentioned Hadwins Volkswagen and Lake District Audi, in particular the Managing Director Roy Allen. Their continued support is immeasurable. Cheers also to all the guys at UnPhased, and friends that helped on and before the event, Ian Wood, the official photographers who’s stunning pics you see and Clint Davis at Station Garage, Milnethorpe. Last but not least is an enormous thanks and a hug to Julia Robinson, my better half for putting up with me. Life wouldn’t be worth living without you!

‘Maude’ to last

Words by Samantha Eynon Pics by Alexis Taylor

Feature Vehicle | ‘65 beetle

lexis Taylor, a Graphic Designer and University lecturer from Northampton, has had his fair share of VW’s. In 1995 he had what he describes as “a very shortlived relationship” with a Type 34, he was the owner of a pink 90’s style 1967 1500 bug, a 1303S bug and also a 1997 Mexican Bug. Not bad going for a guy that’s only 33! His obvious passion for Beetles, began when he was a little boy, growing up in the ‘80s. He remembers seeing them pootling down the roads and he was always badgering his mum to buy him anything and everything Bug related. His infatuation is also partly thanks to Transformers and the Autobot called ‘Bumblebee’ who was originally a Beetle! His relationship with “Maude”, the wonderful lady that graces these pages, began just under 2 years ago. Alexis had made up his mind that he wanted a 1960’s Bug and began trauling through a great number of ads. He had people sending him stacks of photos to peruse, only for them to back out when he tried to arrange a viewing date; I guess it’s difficult to let go! Despite hailing from Northampton he found “Maude’, the Deluxe 1200 ‘65 Bug, in Stoke on Trent, where a man called Cliff was ready to let her go.

< His infatuation is also partly thanks to Transformers and the Autobot called ‘Bumblebee’ > As soon as he got her he had to spend £500 to get her sorted, and since then it’s been the usual trickle of money here and there, as his gran used to say “you will never be rich if you own a car.” Truer words have never been said! “Maude’ is a fairly stock beetle, though she sits a bit lower to the ground, being lowered on a 3” narrowed beam with dropped spindles with one twist at the back. When Alexis got the car he actually raised the back up to one spline, to help the ride on the bumpy roads he has the misfortune of living near! As with all us VW owners, Alexis has a lot of plans for ‘Maude’ who for 20 years from new, lived in Llandudno, North Wales, and was owned by a lady called Alexandra Alexander. He wants the vehicle to have what he calls an ‘Everyday- Restocal” look, which he feels is basically nice and stock but sitting a bit lower. He plans to get the interior back to the correct 1965 colour way and wants to re-do the paintwork in the near future.

The car was orginally Sea Blue, but is now what he believes to be Ruby Red, all be it about 15 years old Ruby Red. Although she still polishes up well, despite sitting outside all year round, and even being egged by kids. He also plans to eventually fit duel cylinder brakes and perhaps some disc brakes at the front, as currently they are all stock, though he admits that so far, touch wood, they have not let him down.The list of things Alexis has bought for the car is already getting lenghty, and so far he has some nice shiny bits to add to it this year including a sun visor, Hella reverse lights and a Raydyot spotlight. When asked about his dream VW, Alexis isn’t greedy, he just wants one of each! Although he does pin-point a Karmann Ghia as being ‘about as perfect as a classic car gets’ However, he is loyal to “Maude” and says that once he gets her looking pristine, he’ll be a happy man.

Feature Vehicle | ‘65 beetle

< When asked about his dream VW, Alexis isn’t greedy, he just wants one of each! > Alexis has a handful of people he wants to thanks for their help in keeping ‘Maude’ up and running. His first shout out goes out to Ian (Dubsy) at V-dubs in Daventry, who helped sort out a load of oil leaks, that unfortunately some old ladies suffer from. Thanks to Alexis’ skills as a graphic designer, he has also had the help of Andy Sykes, who he describes as a ‘genius’, bartering design work for help with the bug. And ofcourse he thanks the other lady in his life, his fiance for being understanding about his VW obsession!

Loyal Dean B

orn in CA. Made in the USA. Designed by nature.

That’s the bold statement that greets you when you first open the Loyal Dean webpage. . Having been into Longboarding now for a few years I can understand the quality and craftsmanship that is required when producing high quality boards and Loyal Dean certainly have those skills. Their aim with the company is to create the most fluid boarding experience possible. They take influence from nature by creating each board by hand in order to make them unique like the earth itself. Although the designs within the organic wood are individual the board shaping is very deliberate. The designs create an ideal switch ride style and provide smooth downhill boarding at all times. All their boards use Randal trucks and Seismic wheels adding to the rolling speed created by the board shapes. Loyal Dean refuses to use Plywood in any of their designs. They use high quality wood such as Mahogany, Oak, Walnut, Maple, Cherry, Bubinga, Ipea or Teak. Buying a Loyal Dean board doesn’t just buy you an attractive piece of skateboarding equipment; it buys you a piece of art. With the time and effort that goes into each board, literally being poured into the grain, you are getting your hands, (and feet), on something you simple cannot buy with a mass produced ‘pop-out’ board. To find out more about Loyal Dean boards why not check out their website at: www.loyaldean.com Loyal Dean products can also be found at www.actionswatersports.com www.billysboardshop.com

Shop Tour | Loyal Dean

The Boards

The Bottlenose Dual directional. Responsive flex. Creamy-like carving. This is the most popular skateboard that Loyal Dean make. Feels like a hot knife in soft butter.

The Bomber The Bomber skateboard pays homage to classic surf and epic lines. Slightly stiffer than the Bottle Nose and ideal for those nutty downhill grades.

Shop Tour | Loyal Dean

The Wooden Eddie

Like the Bottlenose, but slightly stiffer and refined, thanks to its construction process â&#x20AC;&#x201D; without losing an iota of its aesthetic good-looks. By the way, this is one, outstanding allaround board.

The Danish You’ll welcome 3-layers of hardwood (the other rides have two, but there’s a method behind the madness) It’s more rigid and IDEAL for the Carver trucks. All boards are cambered. All boards are fast. All boards pump as much as you want them to.

If you want some free advertising in Air Monkeys then emailairmonkeyvw@gmail. com

This Could Be You!

Words: Toby Walker Pics: wearesoup.com

iva SkegVegas changed this year to a weekend show due to it’s growing popularity. As the sun shone on Friday the campsite saw a continuos steady flow of VW’s from all over the country. There was lots to see and do over the weekend including the usual trade stalls plus some new faces including some great catering served from VW’s. The kids had fun watching Punch and Judy, riding donkeys, and joining in with the Skeg Vegas colouring in convoy which totaled 30 or so hand drawn VW’s! The show had a great chilled family vibe as the campsite was in opposite fields to the event field, where the bands kept everyone entertained in to the evening. The one and only Elvis even made an appearance on Saturday night, things are really looking up for this show with more land available for next year we will see you there in 2012.

Show Report | Viva Skeg Vegas

Picture taken by Edd Thorpe at EBI 2011

Music that has been doing the rounds at Airmonkey’s HQ Illustration by Samantha Eynon Words by Joe and Samantha Eynon

Beastie Boys Red Hot Sauce Committee Part Two Despite the Beastie Boys being around for over thirty years this album is only their eighth studio album. This shows that the New York trio take their time and attempt to bring quality to their fans rather than rushing out as many albums as possible. They have managed to create an album which still sounds relevent, without having to reinvent themselves. Their ability to do this is helped by their intial groundbreaking style in the early 1980’s. Red Hot Sauce Committee Part Two is a fun, loud and instant musical treat which doesnt take itself too seriously. Sounds like- Puplic Enemy, De La Soul, Beck Stand Out Track- Make Some Noise Rating- 8/10 Arctic Monkeys Suck It and See The common feeling within the British indie scene is that Arctic Monkeys debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, was groundbreaking and a modern classic. This on the other hand is not. It has hints of the old Arctic Monkeys punchy lyrics and indie rock guitar but it never quite delivers. The album feels like it’s lacking something and its something that the band have not been able to find in either of their last two release. A bit of a disappointment. Sounds like- The Strokes, The Vaccines, The Rascals. Stand Out Track- Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair Rating- 6/10

Death Cab For Cutie Codes and Keys Death Cab continue their development with their new album, Codes and Keys. Old Death Cab albums had a low-fi self recorded sound and feel, where as their last three albums have become more full bodied and mixing Ben Gibbards soft vocals with an electronic sounding baseline and repetitive rhythms really works well. It’s difficult to compare Death Cab for Cuties albums, as they all have their own merits, but this one is superb. Sounds like- Manchester Orchestra, Bright Eyes, The Shins Stand out track- Some Boys Rating- 8.5/10 Compilation Rave On Buddy Holly Buddy Holly’s main career only lasted for 2 years, which is astonishing, as he created more brilliant records than many musicians make in a life time. For this album a number of contemporary artists have paid homage to the genius of Buddy Holly. The impressive line-up of artists includes Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Jenny O and She and Him. Some artists stick fairly close to the orginial, but most bring something new to the table, and it is a great celebration of Holly’s short, but amazing life. The album is a perfect addition to anyone’s Buddy Holly catalogue or a great introduction to the music icon. Sounds like- Eddie Cochran, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry Stand Our Track- That’ll Be The Day (Modest Mouse) Rating- 9.5/10 Bon Iver Bon Iver This album is much more expansive and layered than the previous hugely successful For Emma Forever Ago. There is also more of a sense of strength to the whole sound and Vernon’s vocals. Not sure about the last track ‘Beth/Rest’ though with 80’s stylings that made me cringe a little, but this is a small blip to an otherwise superb album. Sounds like- Fleet Foxes, James Vincent McMorrow, Iron and Wine Stand Out Track- Perth Rating- 8/10

DEVA DUBS AND R we get the scoop from two people who attended the show, including the official photographer

RODS

Show Report | Deva Dubs & Rods

et’s start things off in the right frame of mind. Deva Dubs and Rods is a wonderful show. It gives out an extremely welcoming vibe as soon as you approach the gate. From the moment you arrive to a very inviting smile from the staff, to the second you leave, you know you’re in a show that’s doing it’s very utmost to cater for the public, be they young, old or anything in between. The atmosphere there is pretty unique in that it’s relaxed, horizontally so, but you always get the feeling that there’s going to be some very special cars on display. If you’ve been in the scene for a while, you can guarantee that you’ll have plenty of opportunity to sit down, have a chat, share a beer and a laugh with either people you’ve met before, or just someone at random with a common interest. One thing you can be sure of is that you’ll be entertained. This year Friday night hosted a pub-quiz in the bar, followed by some comedy, and a hypnotist, not something normally accustomed to a weekend show. If this wasn’t to your fancy, then the fair is always there to keep spirits up as the summer sun sets over the site. Saturday played host to all sorts. There was a great display of daily-driver VW’s and Hot Rods, ranging from beautifully original Oval Bugs, through 50’s Chevrolets, to Mk5 Golfs on air-ride and a low-rider Mazda pickup on hydraulics. What makes Deva different is when you step back and see a bit of everything in front of you, and realise it’s all fabulous in it’s own way, something for every taste, and usually something that really takes you back. Special mention has to go to Ste Bentley for his homebuilt truck, built from a bug floorpan, Morris cab, Type 3 wings and finished in Matt black and no windows bar the front screen. This would normally be fine for the usually-sunny Deva, but for the first time in 9 years, the rain made an appearance, if only for a fleeting glance on Saturday. Other awards went to well-deserved winners including Andy Sweeney for his immaculately restored Oval, Rupert Fox for his ‘53 Bel Air, and a stunning camper-converted Mk1 Escort. Adding to the great metal on show was the ‘slow bike race’, a 5-a-side football competition which kept you busy, if you hadn’t already gone round all the trade stands, seeing Nefarious at work with his amazing pinstriping skills, buying raffle tickets to win a bug through Brad’s Cancer Foundation, getting some clothing from Dogs n Dubs, or some spares or shiny things

Show Report | Deva Dubs & Rods from the autojumble. Either way there was plenty of scope for emptying your pockets. Saturday night hosted a Rockabilly and Burlesque themed disco in the bar with Jensen D Groover at the helm, providing a great backing track to the evening. As the show is very familyfriendly, the music shuts down at midnight to let the little ones get some kip, providing the adults a chance for an early(ish!) night. The security are very good at quelling over-exuburance after hours, and it’s very much appreciated by the parents that attend! Unfortunately, when Sunday came round, it brought rain with it, which is always puts a dampener on things. This didn’t stop the most hardcore from displaying and viewing the cars in the showfield, but it unsurprisingly kept many people away. It wasn’t a total washout by any means, but it’s always a shame when the weather goes downhill. What is a certainty is that even the weather can’t stop Deva Dubs and Rods being one of the ‘must-go’ shows on the calendar, and will continue to be for many years to come. words & pictures: Scott ‘Donnyburger’ Mitchell

Deva report

here do I start? Well first off Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to say a HUGE thanks to all of the Deva Dubs crew who put on another cracking weekend full of dubs, rods & entertainment. It was amazing to be a part of the team for the weekend and I more than enjoyed every minute of it. Having the opportunity to be official photographer was absolutely ace and hopefully this is just the start of things to come. We arrived at the show around 5pm on Friday, after a nice cruise down the A49, spotting many dubs along the way. We were greeted by friendly and smiling staff that directed us to our Demon Dubs club plot, which was more than adequate and set out perfectly. Once we had set up camp we embraced the chilled out atmosphere, cracked open a beer and started the BBQ before heading off to the entertainment marquee to take some photos! Friday night started with a pub style quiz leading on to a very funny evening with a comedian & unusually a hypnotist which was different to see at a VW show, but nevertheless there was a lot of laughter to be shared, a perfect photo opportunity! If it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t your thing then there was plenty more to keep you entertained including the fun fair and outside seating area to chill and soak up the atmosphere. Once I had got some shots from the entertainment and had a good laugh, I headed back to the tent and ended the eventful night around the campfire with the club. We awoke to glorious sunshine on Saturday, and headed off to the show and shine area to take a look what was on display. I was really impressed with the standard of the daily drivers, some of which were immaculate, there was without doubt something for everyone

Show Report | Deva Dubs & Rods and that is what I love about Deva. Although the rain made an appearance on and off it didn’t make a difference to the dubs and rods on display, with trade also busy throughout the day and I’m glad it didn’t spoil the atmosphere. After a long day looking round it was time to clean up the dubs ready for Sundays show and then chill out! With the sun setting it was time to wind down before the night ahead, another chilled out BBQ and beer later it was the start of the entertainment with the night taking theme to Rockabilly and Burlesque I couldn’t miss the opportunity to take some photos. As everyone gathered outside the bar, Hot Rod 55 took to the stage and inside was the disco. After they had played a very successful set it was time for me to go backstage ready for the entertainment in the marquee in the form of 2 dancers, a dance off of selected visitors on stage and music hosted by Jensen D Groover, who was fantastic and kept the crowd going all night! I have to say it was ace to be in the best seat in the house, although it was weird to be in front of the barrier for once I loved every minute of catching the whole vibe. Once I had captured the nights events it was time to head back to the camp and crack open a well deserved beer, ready for the main show day on Sunday! Unfortunately on Sunday I awoke, with my ears ringing from the night before, to the sound of rain, which sadly continued for the rest of the day although it didn’t stop plenty of vDubs and Hot Rods still showing in the show and shine, it did sadly keep a lot of people away. It certainly didn’t ruin the overall show weekend but it was a real shame that the weather took a turn. The show and shine awards ended the day which was dominated by Pete Gibbs in his custom radical, more than deserved! After this, with myself and the camera soaking wet, it was time to call it a day, as we packed up the beetle and made the journey back home in real British weather! Hopefully for next years show the weather will be more on our side. I more than look forward to Deva Dubs ‘N Rods 2012 and suggest that you all get it in your diary’s for next year, you won’t want to miss it! words & pictures: James Owen

www.samanthaeynon.com

Feature Vehicle | ‘86 Beetle

Ground Control

words by Edd Thorpe photographs by Isabelle Foley

On first glance at this car, you may think it’s ‘just a late Mexican bug’ – oh how, how wrong can you be?!

n 1986 this car originated from a whole different continent, being assembled from one of sixty body shells that were left lying around in a shack in Nigeria. There, a small team of car builders were briefly employed to assemble them with what was left from various left over parts. From the shelf, the Nigerian builders selected a pre ’64 style shell, featuring ‘fat pillars’ and smaller windows and windscreen than the traditional 1965 model year, yet with the addition of post‘68 half-moon pressings round the rear side windows, and a ’65 sized rear window! Just to add further chaos to model year identification – a fuel flap was sunk into the front right quarter panel, as traditionally found on post ’67 Beetles. However, the wings were painted in a grey primer coat, and were subsequently left, hence their extreme patina! The wings themselves are late style or post ’68, with elephant foot rear lights, with Europa style bumbers (again later ’68 onwards) running through them. The front inner arches are at first glance like pre ’64 King and Link pin style, yet accept mountings for the later Europa bumpers. The finishing touches to the body work included adding ‘thin’ side trim, as found on 1967 and onwards beetles. However, just to make it even more unusual, this trim is actually located lower down on the body than traditional Wolfsburg built Beetles. This leads to some pretty close clearance when opening the fuel flap!

< it was mouldy, smelly and very wet >

Feature Vehicle | ‘86 Beetle

Not even the bonnet or engine lid escape the unique nature of this bug, being true Nigerian only items! The bonnet effectively features a pre ’64 top end to meet the scuttle panel, yet the lower leading edge is of a late ’68 onwards style, to meet the late style front valance, with the whole thing being the same length as a late item! (Confused yet?) The engine lid is a ‘68 size and shape, but with some really cool features, such as the different spacing used between the large air vents, and sneakily hidden, thermostatically controlled flaps under the number plate light! No bolt-on panel is safe from the strangeness, as even the doors are Nigerian only! These are quintessentially ’64 esque, yet featuring different latches on the quarter lights, and a unique winder mechanism for the windows which unites the forward (late) winder handles, to the centrally located mechanism. Just to add some more craziness, the doors, or more specifically the driver’s door, features a ’68 onwards style door-mounted wing mirror! Oh and they use only 2 bolts per hinge! (Economy drive or what?)

< No bolt-on panel is safe from the strangeness > This whole mish-mash of body shell was then bolted down to an equally amusingly built floor pan. This features ’64 style pans, yet with 70’s cross members and rear horns, and Type 3 torsion bar pins, and a Trekker cross brace – just for good measure! The front beam was originally a Ball Joint ’67 onwards style unit, yet utilised Trekker spindles so the whole thing actually sat 2 inches higher than a standard Beetle, probably so it was better suited to the Nigerian roads (or lack of!). Out back the original engine was a similarly ‘creative’ 1600cc Twinport unit, with twin carbs and a trekker fan shroud. Once the body and ‘pan were united in that Nigerian shack, a coach built interior was fitted, minus any rear seats, which left useful storage space for water containers! This interior consists of a padded and plastic dash, with a square Km/h speedo, and square clock – which even keeps time!

A Nigerian only grey headliner can be found still in place wrapped into rear ‘factory’ pop outs featuring a green tint, and still etched with the original Nigerian License plate number, as is all the glass! The finishing touch is the Nigerian only carpet set, featuring a colour coded Beetle picture on the floor mats and colour matched piping. Of course Stephen Key, the car’s current owner, knew nothing of this vast array of parts buggery back in November 2009 when he came to own the car, finding it on eBay from a Porsche 356 Replica builder, when it was “mouldy, smelly and very wet, as someone had left a side window open when it had sat for 12 years down a farm driveway”. During its stay there, the car was deemed too bad to save by its then current owner, due to the tin worm that had crept into a pan half, and subsequently parted out. However, not much apart from the original engine was actually lost! The car had been passed around between Coventry, Rugby and Wolverhampton, before Stephen made its home Lutterworth with a fresh MOT thanks to a complete side of the floor pan being replaced before he took it, or ‘Nigel’ as he has come to call it! Since then Stephen has done a lot of extensive research (clearly!) and traced the car’s routes right back to when it was imported privately, from new. “There were two cars imported privately at that time, the other one has since been scrapped. It was imported by a pilot who flew out to Nigeria, and then drove it all the way back to the U.K, across the Sahara Desert! Back then it would have been far too expensive to ship, and would have taken a year!”. Since getting hold of ‘Nigel’ as a slightly lowered, 1200cc engine and gearbox equipped, newly MOT’d Beetle, Stephen has not been shy of making his mark on it, having lowered it slightly more only 6 months later, before slamming it well and truly earlier this year. To get that deck-hugging stance Stephen made a 7 inch narrowed, chopped and clearenced Ball Joint Beam onto the clearenced framehead, with no shock towers and laser cut end plates, which is now the lowest sitting part of the car, before fitting 2 ½ inch ‘0 offset’ dropped spindles into the trailing arms, and effectively ‘flipping’ the track rod ends with an anti bump steer kit,. This clears that Nigerian only, green fuel tank. Out back Stephen notched and extended the spring plates before they were turned 4 splines! This results in the modified rear shocks closing completely, under load!

Clearly no parts bin was safe, as the steering wheel is suspiciously similar to that from a mk 1 Polo!

Feature Vehicle | ‘86 Beetle

< Oh and they use only 2 bolts per hinge! (Economy drive or what?) > This wheel setup is about to change completely by next ‘season’ so keep them peeled for the new look! As for pimp-ass accessories, you will find a pair of genuine NOS VW eyebrows fitted to the headlights… and that’s it. Oh, apart from the shrunken head, of course! Driving Nigel is certainly an ‘experience’ from what Stephen says, as the stance somewhat inhibits your driving routes, and plays hell with cats eyes, yet drive it he does, attending Dubfreeze and Big Bang this year to say the least, but “no-one else but me really travels in it now, and I’m quite lucky there’s no speed bumps round here!”

High back seats, featuring headrests were used, padded with foam as opposed to horsehair.

Britsh Volkswagen Festival 2011

Show Report | BVF

We headed to the British Volkswagen Festival in the Malvern Hills to witness the battle within the Volkswagen world. Air-cooled versus Watercooled. Beetle versus Golf. Who would win?

Words by Joe Eynon Pictures by Joe & Samantha Eynon

e arrived at the Three Counties Showground early on the Sunday morning after staying at a local campsite nearby, in Hanley Swan. As we bumped and scraped across a very bumpy grass field they were using as a car park we could see the masses of VW’s parked in the showground over the hedge. The British Volkswagen Festival is set at the same showground as the famous Vanfest. Our first impressions were that it appeared to be a miniature version of the September show, which is no bad thing. We paid our £10 admission fee for a day pass and made our way into the showground. As we were there early on we quickly made our way to the Show and Shine area, so we did not have to wrestle for the photo opportunities. The various VW’s were still making their way into the arena as we were scouting for the best vehicles to “snap”. Ben Coate’s slammed ghia was there, as was Mike Owen’s beetle. One thing that was obvious from the very start was that the water-cooled boys and girls had turned out in force.

Compared to the other mixed VAG shows we have been to so far this year, (Dubfreeze and Stanford Hall), this was the first time that they had upstaged the normally dependable aircooled owners. Although there was some superb pre 1980 VW’s in the form of Beetles, Variants’, Ghias’ and Campers there was also something lacking. For every great air-cooled car there were two great water-cooled ones. When it came to the latter cars the quality went down the line. The Lupo’s especially stood out. The custom work that went into some of them was outstanding and the attention to detail was spellbinding. I’m not for a moment saying that water-cooled VW’s are better, they just seemed to dazzle a bit more at this show. Some of the vehicles included in the indoor display ran by VWOCGB had us scratching our heads, one bus was brushed painted all over, although the Beetles were fantastic in there, with some great 1967 models. We stayed at the showground all day due to the amount of things to look at. The trade area was a good size with all the great

stands you would expect to find at a large festival. There was a great food court serving hot food throughout the day and a bar serving cold beers. The bar was important due to the weather being scorching! Children seemed happy cycling around on their retro BMX’s and the small tots were being pulled about in Radio Flyers. After we had perused the trade stalls and spent our pocket money we had a nosey around the camping areas. Of course, it wasn’t as big as Vanfest’s, but it had some great camping plots. People really set themselves up for the weekend with their campers, tents, gazebos’, fire pits and more. The show was not a disappointment but at the same time fell short of something. The blame must not fall at the organisers feet. The event was well ran and felt like a lively and fun place to be. The only criticism that I can think of was when it was held. If they had not put the show on the same time as EBI then higher quality air-cooled dubs may have come. We will return next year though and hope for the weather to be equally as kind.

Show Report | BVF

The Air Monkeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite vehicles from the last few months.

The Bus Stop Over 2011 words and pictures by Edd Thorpe

Show Report | The Bus Stop Over

he Bus Stop Over, held annually at Turnpost Farm, Wymeswold, has always been,and will continue to be a firm favourite on the VW show scene. Set in the fields surrounding the farm, this year saw what must have been a record crowd. The sheer sight of that many VWs, ranging from very early Splitties and Beetles, through to more modern T4s and T5s is a sight to behold. The show has a really great feel to it, with it being set locally to Johnson Autoworks, you feel as though this is the epicentre of a localised VW hub– much in the same way Cornwall is. Despite being about as far from the sea as it’s physically possible to get in England, the show takes on a fantastic vibe, mixing people of all ages. Bus Stop Over has traditionally been a family favourite due to their array of children’s entertainment, from bouncy castles, face painting, Zorbs, fairground and a dedicated kids entertainment area found in the main marquee. The availability of ’quiet camping’ also secures this as a family orientated show.

For the bigger kids there’s no shortage of ’toys’ in the show and shine area, found at the centre of the show, making a great focal point. There were even great cars in the camping areas! Having wandered the show and shine area - and then ventured into the encircling trade and auto jumble stalls, which were fantastically laid out, putting on a great display in themselves, not to mention the special display laid on by Steve Johnson’s Autoworks (featuring works in progress!). Parent and child alike gathered in and around the enterainment marquee, which became very popular when the rain kept switching itself on and off, pouring down before stopping as quickly as it started! The music on the Saturday kicked off mid-afternoon, and by woeful admission, consisted of myself, with fellow band member Ben Marshall, playing an acoustic version of our regular full-band set, before Stuck in 2nd kicked things up a gear (no pun intended - honest!) with their bouncy, fast paced and hard hitting skafunk-punk! The live music

<There were even great cars in the camping areas!> culimintaed with a 9 piece Ska band—fulfilling the Bus Stop Overs reputation for a spread variety! Lee Perry did an awesome job of overseeing the music during the weekend, as well as organising and DJ’ing the spectacular 80’s themed discos, backed up with an awesome stage, comprising of a bright yellow split-sreen pick up—no less—with the obligatory lasers, glitter balls, projectors and smoke machines!! Once again I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who left the show on the Sunday feeling disappointed. If you haven’t visited the Bus Stop Over before I thoroughly suggest adding it to your calendar for next year. Details of this years show– along with full Show and Shine winners list can be found at: www.thebusstopover.com

Show Report | The Bus Stop Over

Keep a watchful eye on: www.facebook.com/airmonkeys and www.air-monkeys.tumblr.com for more information on the Air Monkeys cars and what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re up to. Also if you want to be considered to be featured in a future issue email airmonkeysvw@gmail.com Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to hear from you!

Air Monkeys 2011