Mad Dogs and Englishmen

I can only apologise to those of you who take some interest in where we are and what we are doing.  My blog entries have been pretty irregular for some time now.  I could offer you a raft of excuses.  For example, our propensity to book trade shows late in the day.  This effectively means that we semi-unpack the van late on Sunday night, gather our thoughts and brace ourselves for yet another Trump headline on Monday morning (or any given day for that matter), muddle through to mid week catching up on online orders, fielding enquiries, etc. before setting ourselves some impossible challenge (usually in the form of new stock), which we then attempt to turn around in time for the coming weekend.  By the time I’m in a position to update the blog, the next show has arrived and the moment has passed.

I could also blame a whole host of other things, but this time, in a typically British manner, I blame the weather.  The heat wave we had (remember?), meant that I ventured outside and whenever I venture outside for prolonged periods, I discover that we actually live on the edge of the Amazon rainforest.  

In short, I’ve been “on some shit” in the garden.  (Trust me, that’s the best phrase to describe the job, which confronted me. Here's the link. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=on%20some%20shit )

I will endeavour to give you a potted history of our recent shows.  Gaz has a 1964 Mini Cooper.  Given that we sponsor the annual Mini and VW Bus Meet in our hometown, it made sense that both the Mini and the T4 make an appearance on our stand.  The main stumbling block was the fact that the Mini has been languishing in a relative’s garage for 17 years, playing winter host to Fred, the tortoise and somewhere along the way picking up a new furry occupant – a mouse.  But Gaz was on a mission.

Cleared of mouse droppings and boxes of long forgotten keepsakes (including a remote controlled skateboarder straight out of the 80s and a wooden Woodpecker cigarette dispenser), Gaz grabbed the toolbox and WD40 and set to work.

  

Unfortunately, the gods had other ideas and progress was slow to say the least.  The inaccessible fuel filter within the petrol tank was blocked and by Friday, the engine was sparking but still not drawing fuel. 

Knackered, jaded, beaten; all words, which could have described Gaz on Saturday morning as he left to set up.  All that hard work for sweet FA.

By the time I arrived to help set up, I was greeted by two familiar faces, Ben and Cerys, a couple we met at Dubs on the Wye.  Ben’s a VW enthusiast and Cerys is a Mini owner.  They had decided to take a punt on the show, breaking up their journey with an overnight stay in Shrewsbury and, luckily for us, Ben had brought along his heavy duty Towing Dolly, which he insisted on hitching up to our Golf to collect the Mini.  What a star!

Within 30 seconds of the Mini’s arrival on site, a tearful Gaz (bless) had had an offer on it and was soon surrounded by a dozen men - all staring, prodding the engine and offering advice on what to do next.

Having built the 1 litre race engine from scratch in his youth, we are thankful that Gaz had the foresight to retain most of the original parts, as the consensus was to return it to its original 1964 Cooper engine. 

The thing all classic motoring enthusiasts have in common is passion and a desire to see their favourite rides on the road.  That is why one parts dealer, throughout the day, systematically boxed up all the requisite parts for our Mini (worth just shy of £100) and allowed Gaz to buy them from him for 30 quid!  Talk about good karma!

Cookie

Setting up at leisure only 5 minutes drive from home is always a pleasure and I don’t think the stand has ever looked more organised.  We also managed to squeeze in a couple of cheeky drinks with this man, better known as “Cookie” from E4’s Tattoo Artist of the Year, and his lovely family.  The creative juices were flowing on Saturday evening, so all we can say is watch this space…

Next up was Camper Jam, which is always one of the highlights of the calendar.  We managed to launch a new T-shirt design with hours to spare before the start of the show.  Talk about hot off the press!

Camper Jam was hot - very hot - and very busy.  In it’s 10^th year, it was a great show and we had great neighbours on both sides, which included one fireman aka Brutebox Baz, four labradors (one who uses Jedi mind tricks to secure pork scratchings) and two "Happy Campers" from the Republic of Ireland.  

We also had the luxury of chilling around the campfire with our super organised friends on Saturday evening.  By “super organised,” I mean they brought the wherewithal to mix lip-numbing cocktails.  The only downside was our first experience of theft at a VW show.  Someone stole a rat from our rat bike.  No biggy, just disappointing.

Campfire and cocktails

Since then we have been posting out pre-orders of Vdubs in the Valley show tees and working on re-stocking an early Voodoo Street design, which seems to be suddenly in demand.

In our down time, we’ve made our first visit to Nozstock Festival, in deepest Herefordshire, notable for 3 reasons:-

1.  Excellent music, including Remi Harris (a leader on the Gypsy Jazz scene and highly rated by Jamie Cullum) and up and coming band and Nozstock regulars, The Stiff Joints.

2.  A fireworks display with a distinctly pagan feel.

3.  We managed to get Bez from Happy Mondays, to wear one of our bucket hats on stage.

Bez doing his thing

We also squeezed in the Camper & Bus Show at Eastnor Castle last weekend and decanted the 9 gallons of water, which fell on Saturday night from the top of our gazebos into saucepans.  It didn’t spoil our fun.  Gaz, on his own on Friday night, spent the evening with Retro Classic Clothing’s Adam and co. and on Saturday night, we whiled away a few hours (and a few cans) in the company of Simon and Celia (and family).  Thanks for your company and the amazing brownie Celia – we were fighting over it!

   

Pictured above, is Nala, Celia's canine niece, in her Voodoo Street bandana.

Getting ready for the Soap Box Derby at Eastnor

I will be updating our web store very soon, but with Skeg Vegas looming, it’s possible that we will need to re-stock before then, so bear with us. 

We’re excited about our first visit to Skeg Vegas.  It’s the furthest we will have travelled to a show and therefore we will all be shoe horned into the van, but we’ve heard many positive stories and have high hopes.  Maybe see some of you there!

Dubs on the Wye was booked as our wild card; a charity run first show hosted by, Rocky Lee's Little Feet (a commendable cause, which helps raise money for headstones for stillborn babies).  In addition to offering support for the charity, a plus point was the show’s location - the picturesque Wye Valley.  Even better, was that as we neared show time, apocalyptic weather warnings were nowhere to be seen (unusual for us). Instead, blistering temperatures rivaling the seventies were forecast!

View from our Trade Stand

We set off on Friday afternoon in our fully loaded T4 and our on-borrowed-time Mk4 Golf.  One hour twenty minutes later, we weren't disappointed with our back yard for the weekend.  With Ross on Wye's landmark church spire poking out above the hillside towering above us, there was the intimate feel of a first show and campers and traders sharing the field adjacent to the sports' centre.  The sports' centre facilities were made available to all, so instead of festival toilets, we were able to use proper porcelain toilets, a couple of showers and the centre's bar which supplied refreshments and a full English breakfast each morning.

After a fairly lengthy set-up, we just about had time for a chat to our neighbour (a very talented artist called Corine) before sun down  and had a wander around the site, before hitting the sack.  It was interesting, but we can’t remember a show where there was a notable absence of fire pits.  No need.  Man, it was shaping up to be a hot weekend!

Sunset, Ross-on-Wye

After not nearly enough sleep, we hit the ground...strolling.  Yes, I think it’s fair to say it was a very slow start.  On the Friday evening, with the traders and campers combined, it could have made for a decent party; one where you get to talk to everyone.  You get the picture.  Everyone should have been on first name terms...  

Saturday morning looked to be the same.  Gaz jokingly said to one of the organisers that he’d seen tumbleweed blowing around opposite our stand.  

(One early visitor to the stand - looking for some stickers for her bay - was this Cornish lady, back home for a visit with relatives, all the way from Australia's Gold Coast.  She had even made her own skirt for the occasion!)

Check that skirt!

The organisers agreed that more footfall was desperately needed, but we were assured that more would be arriving for the evening’s outdoor cinema event (independent of the show but next to the venue) and this would help generate trade.  Although we were sceptical, this proved to be the case, as once again, the British weather laid waste to plans.  As cinema-goers began to arrive, the decision was taken to postpone the showing until 9pm (should have been 7 pm) as the sun was too bright!  Luckily, folks were content to watch the band and buy stuff from us, so we enjoyed a little spike in trade.  However, it's fair to say that this was not one of our busiest shows.  Here are just a few things we did when we could have/should have been trading:-

1.  I had breakfast with Boba Fett.

Boba Fett, Steampunk stylee

 2.  We had a mooch around Ross-on-Wye (well Gaz held the fort, but I was on a photographic exploration and foraging for food (local burgers and sausages).

Heading into town

This dog was enjoying the hanging baskets being watered.

3.  We BBQ'd.

Gaz and his other love, cooking.

4.  We had a water fight.

5.  Gaz flew a kite (yes, believe it or not in these record breaking temperatures, we briefly had enough wind to fly one).

6.  I visited the site bar in the afternoon – just for respite from the intense heat, you understand.

7.  We all visited a riverside pub for a swift cider.  Technically, this was after 7 pm so perfectly legit, but we were able to do so guilt free.

The Hope and Anchor riverside pub, purveyor of cider.

8.  We took in a film - Grease - embracing the full outdoor cinema experience.  Last June, we were battling against driving rain and trying to prevent several gallons of water from pouring in through the gazebos and drowning all of our stock.

The one down side to the weekend was that I had a bad reaction to pollen, sun cream and the general environment! After sneezing like a train all afternoon, with a nose running like a tap and eyes stinging to hell and closing up like a prize fighter’s, I was forced to don sunglasses so as not to alarm folks at the night time screening.

Security even robbed our limited supply of booze on entry, as folks were being encouraged to buy from the bar, so really feeling full of allergens and in need of something cold, crisp and alcoholic, Gaz disappeared to purchase drinks from the bar.  Forty five minutes later he reappeared.  Apparently, he had been doing the other thing we weren’t expecting to do this weekend, and so, coming in at number 9:-

9.  Booking a band for the Mini and VW Bus Meet we’re trading at in our home town next weekend.  Long story.

Whilst Grease wasn’t our choice of film, we all enjoyed the experience and by 11pm the temperature had settled to a mere hot (not hot as buggery).

The film will start...any second now.

After a slightly more comfortable night, Sunday brought yet more pollen, a further rise in temperature, several familiar faces, much shooting of the breeze, getting sun burnt and the obligatory show 'n' shine.  

Show 'n' shine splitty.

Congratulations to Celia, who won a prize for her amazing T5, Vader.  Commiserations to Jason whose immaculate T4, lost out to another.

Vader, the winning T5.

Celia with her trophy.  And her prize for winning Best T5.

In summary, against the odds, we did OK.  Not the best, but by no means our worst trading weekend. But regardless, we didn't care.  The show was for charity and we had a brilliant weekend.  Yes, it was a little too hot, but how often do we get to say that?  We had a chilled out weekend on the Wye, with a little bit of work thrown into the mix.

Pootle, the Beetle.

Naturally, it wouldn't be a Voodoo Street trading weekend without some kind of drama.  Gaz managed to badly kerb one of the wheels on the T4 whilst trying to negotiate a tricky pull out (a jutting kerb stone certainly played its part in this).  And when packing up, he left the gazebos until last to maximise protection from the sun.  Unfortunately, at a key point in this process, the wind decided to make a brief return.  Gaz spotted one of our telescopic banners was about to be slammed into the front of our van and ran to rescue it.  Whilst his back was turned, he heard a whooshing noise and turned to see our two cable tied gazebos about 10 feet in the air.  The wind then upended them and slammed them down inches from our neighbour’s black BMW.  A close call.

Spotted leaving the show ground, this bay with our rear mounted logo sticker.

After spending Sunday evening repairing the buckled gazebos, Gaz has spent the last 2 days reviving his Mini Cooper for next week's show.  

We've got an incredible 15 feet of space, so room for a couple of show vehicles. Maybe see you there!

'Til next time!

Run to the Hills

After a summer of thrills and spills, this week marked the come down.  A new school year, Monday blues, a frenzied and sustained house cleaning session, the filling of endless charity shop bags (again - where does it all come from?!), stock taking, admin and late night random cat rescue operations.  It was ugly. 

Relief came via a friend’s phone call, although even this was only temporary, as he happened to ask about plans for the weekend.  Only Busfest, the biggest international VW show on the calendar! 

Photo credit:  Simon Holloway

Obviously it’s been on the cards for months now, but I realised I had failed to rise to my own challenge, namely how to best display a batch of logo scarves we produced earlier this year.

Logo Cotton Squares - voodoostreet.com - £7.00

The design and quality are bang on, it’s just finding a way of presenting them at shows and festivals without making them look....well, flaccid.  I have all but given up hope of designing the perfect scarf prop, but our mate Vicky reminded me of a book I had gifted to someone, “50 Ways To Wear a Scarf.”  So now, I have set myself a new and totally unrealistic challenge – a demonstration of various ways to creatively don a 45 x 45 cm square of cotton.  Spoiler alert:  I won’t make it to 50.

First up – The Messy Bun!

Our recent visit to Camper Calling saw me hijack regular customer Gemma Nisbet when I noticed her wearing one of our scarves tied around her up do.  I felt unable to go in for the real close up.  No one wants that.  Ever.  Especially on a Sunday morning after one hell of a Saturday night!  Therefore, I have replicated the look for your viewing pleasure and vow to you that I will attempt to photograph a number of alternative looks during the coming weeks, for men, women, animals and vegetables.

So, as I mentioned, we’re running to the hills this weekend – Malvern to be precise.  We’re stocked to our tired and bloodshot eyeballs with fresh supplies.  Our urban army caps have proved such a hit, we’ve rolled out our understated label-only formula to some herringbone weave flat caps.

  

Vintage Style Flat Cap - £9.99 Voodoostreet.com

In terms of stickers, we’re embracing the Busfest zombie theme. Our new Zombie Camping Permit stickers will be available (alongside previous zombie inspired designs) with a cool little Union Jack tax disc holder for you to stick to your windscreens!  Plus we now have stickers for pretty much any type of VW bus.  Come and find us in A06!

I’m also strangely excited to see Dr and the Medics...although I doubt I'll manage to pull off a repeat performance of ABC’s Camper Calling set and secure a song dedication from the lead singer.

So, hopefully we'll see some of you at Busfest.  It’s not every day you get to sign off a blog this way, but catch you soon, assuming my grey matter hasn’t been sucked out through a straw by the living dead!

Weather Bombed!

It was not a great start to the weekend.  All geared up for Bus Types, the forecast was grim on Friday morning.  Periods of grey, wet nothingness, punctuated by biblical downpours and snow.  We took a view to pack the van and head off first thing Saturday morning, as the forecast for the rest of the weekend was good.

At 10.30 pm, just as Gaz packed the last box into the van, I took a call from Sophie, a Bus Types rep. 

“Have you set off yet?” she asked, “cos if you haven’t, I would recommend you don’t come.” 

With tales of traders being towed on site and off again, due to waterlogged ground, which would require days of blazing sunshine to recover, we reluctantly admitted defeat.  To top it all off, I developed a sudden and extremely painful toothache.  With a sense of foreboding that only a trip to an emergency dentist can bring, I topped my glass up and hoped for the best.  Hard liquor might just see it off.

The view that greeted us - bleary eyed - early on Saturday morning, was enough to cause snow blindness!  The weather was definitely living up to the apocalyptic warnings.  On the plus side, the toothache had subsided to a more manageable level.

At a loose end on Saturday with a van full to the brim of Voodoo Street stock which should have been unleashed on the unsuspecting revellers at Bus Types, we felt a little jaded.  This wasn’t helped by photos emerging on social media, with blue-sky backdrops, of a pretty good turn out in spite of the adverse ground conditions.  One point to note is be very careful how you search for “Bus Types” images on Google.  One small slip with the keys and some pretty alternative images pop up!

Time to count our blessings and make the most of some time off. 

Last week we sold one of our beloved barrel boards.  Never intended for retail, they were made with love and always draw attention on the VW circuit, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before we caved and agreed to sell one. 

This vintage oak beauty is on its way to a discerning customer as I write.

I also had some time to engage with cyber friends on social media.  Working so closely with Gaz from home, it’s easy to become detached from the big wide world.  Sometimes that’s a good thing, but it can be quite insular at times.  The awesome thing about Instagram is the immediate connection you can make with other creative, like-minded nutters!  Social media is like a virtual office to me, so I had an exchange with the lovely @Janie_evo, randomly, about sphinx cats and wiled away some time googling these fascinating creatures.

I managed to squeeze in an hour's shopping at a local emporium I've recently fallen in love with, which is like stepping back into a way cooler era.  On Saturday it was bursting at the seams with the usual suspects, pineapple ice buckets and vinyl collections, but I also spotted rolls of Flash Gordon wall paper circa 1981 and these playing cards, which I bagged for our road trips.

An impromptu basketball session in glorious sunshine finished off our Saturday and then we kicked back with pizza, a movie and a few jars.

Sunday we took a little road trip into the Shropshire countryside and admired the gleaming scooters grouped in Ludlow Market Square.  This one caught my eye, as it payed homage to one of my favourite TV series, Life on Mars.

Later on when we lamented our lost weekend in Oswestry, one of our mates sent us this photo, which kind of says it all really. 

  

We’ve put it behind us now and are crossing everything for a smooth run at Derbyshire Dubs in a few weeks’ time.