For many, Plymouth Volksfest was probably the first show of the year and what a show it was. It seems that everybody that went had a blast and a story to tell. Here's a few of those stories...

Arriving late was never the plan but a new job and a late start meant that by the time we arrived,t most people were already there. Following a bug and a camper in, we were greeted by a glorious site and a sea of dubs covering the site. Pulling up into our club camping area a beer was thrust thru my window and Plymfest 2008 had started! By evening on friday the whole site was buzzing. There were clubs camping from all over the place. From our section of the site we could see clubs from Dorset and Somerset right nearby and many other clubs from further afield were not far away.

Now as many people know, one of the great things about camping with a club is that while you get set up and sorted out, you can mingle, chat to everyone and generally just chill out and this is what we did. Flubber Dubbers are great at this sort of thing, it comes naturally and while people cooked, ate, drank and chatted we all managed to get ourselves set up for the weekend. As we arrived late the prospect of cooking our food seemed somewhat unappealing so the food stalls became quickly appealing! A seriously tasty roast pork and stuffing roll (the first of many)hot the spot and suitably sustained, we headed off to the Splitty Bar for the first night of entertainment.

Ring of fire are a Johnny Cash tribute band and a tribute they are too! Playing a non stop, blistering set, they sounded pretty close to the man himself and by the time they got to their finale, "Ring of Fire", the whole tent was dancing. (Please note that the term dancing is used loosely as a generic term for the gyrating bodies the were vaugely in time with the music!) It must be said though that certain parties should be commended on their "cowboy lassoo" danicng which not only was entertaining, but it also serves as a very universal dance for numerous occasions!

Saturday morning dawned better than predicted and what better way to start the morning than with a cup of tea sitting with a mate, surrounded by VW's! So suitably sustained we were set to face the day we watch sleepy campers emerge from their vans and wait for theobligitary smell of bacon sizzling. A morning spent wandering the site, checking the stalls and attractions out paved the way for the afternoon's entertainment, which on this occasion was a big birthday party! Four flubbers were/are 40 this year so a large comunal party seemd like a good idea. Going back to childrens birthday party fare was the order of the day and sandwiches, crisps jelly and ice cream were the order of the day! Top this lot off with a visit from the famous "Chilli Vodka Man" and you've got a party!

The only disappointment of saturday was that the headlining band swapped time slots with another band so a number of people missed seeing "Mad Dog McRae" which is a shame, especially as the replacement band was somewhat lacklustre in it's performance! Despite this though, spirits were still high and the "FLAME" fire show went down well with everyone. Some poeple were so impressed that purchases of fire staffs were the order of the day, resulting in much amusment and entertainment for those watching Chris's antics! Saturday night turned rather chilly but sat around a camp fire (raised off the ground of course!) kept most people warm or was it maybe the drinks that did that. Whatever was responsible, what better way to finish the evening off than sitting round a fire with friends, chilling out before bedtime.

Sunday is the day of the show and shine. For some absurd reason two amongst us are up early armed with cloths, baby wipes and water and are lovingly cleaning their bus and bug respectively. Matt adn Cel have entered their vehicles and last minute cleaning may be the differnce between sucess and disaster! While they liberally apply elbow grease to every available nook and cranny, the rest of us do the decent thing and drink tea and once again prepare ther great british fry up to start us off for the day Sunday has dawned bright and despite so many claims that rain will stop play, it seems warm and surprisingly cloud free. A good day will ensue.

Some trundle round the traders stalls again, some relax and read while some sit around talking playing guitar. The overall feeling again is very chilled out. Despite it being such a large camsite, with every club doing it's own thing, it still feels quiet and the vibe is very chiled, something that we will take back with us as memories.

The show and shine is help in the middle of the site. There were about 30-40 vehicles displayed ranging from a split rear window beetle right up to more modern Golfs. The selection of cars was varied with some being shiney, some rat look and some midway between. One bus even had it's occupants camped out on the roof, enjoying the sunshine. The standard of the cars certainly reflected the more relaxed nature of the event. Almost all seemed to be daily drivers and really reflected a standard that many people felt was acheivable without and open chequebook!

Lunchtime approached and a number of us met up in the main arena. Sitting in the sun, with a cold drink and good friends surely must be one of the best ways to spend a few hours. This seems to be one of the lasting memories of the weekend, having fun and spending time with friends. One of the highlights of Sunday for some people must have surely been the show and shine judging results. Matt (Caveman) took second in commercial with his black and flamed twin door splitty panel. Cel also did well with her bug getting 14 out of 20, an excellent result for a first showing attempt.

Sunday night was very laid back. Camp fire, few drinks, good friends and a lot of talking, just the way it should be. Somne went to see the Sex pistols tribute band, some watched the fire show again and some got an early night. As the last night of the show, it really felt like it had gone quickly and no one wanted it to end.

Monday dawned raining and grey, not the best weather to break camp but at least the weather had stayed better than expected all weekend and had it have been blazing sunshine, noe one would surely have wanted to have left! Tents were packed and vans were loaded and within a short space of time the flubbers made for home.

Memories we wil take home with us, undoubtadly must be that for the first plymouth Volksfest it was a cracking show. The organizers got things pretty much spot on and an amazing amount of credit for the good time we had must surely go to them. The facillities were good, the entertainment excellent and the company was top notch. Spending time with friends at a show like this must surely rank as one of the best ways to spend a weekend. Roll on the next show and roll on Plymfest 2009!