Tatton Park VW Show 2014

Tatton Park Volkswagen Show is an annual event organised by Volkswagen Northwest. It is a 1-day show which takes place in August, and is generally really blessed with good sunshine. There's no overnight camping except for traders, but our friends Dave and Kate trade there with their business Campertronic - and it's this time of year that Dave's parents go on holiday, so we take their place setting up and packing away, occasionally selling things and helping with childcare.

I've been going to Tatton Park VW show for the last 12 years. It's the only show that I haven't missed, whatever else has happened in my life. Last year it was our first trip out when my partner was still very much recovering from Meningitis, this year it was our first overnight camp of the year - mainly because our teenagers haven't stood still long enough for us to do anything....

Because we were setting up the day before, we were some of the first on site, so the children were able to play and run about in as much space as they wanted - unable to completely escape! The weather was really hit and miss, with glorious sunshine one minute, and deep cloud the next....

The only time she was moving slowly enough to be in shot!

Some friends of ours arrived in traditional Volkswagen style....

Fortunately by the time the clouds began to get ominous we were all set up withour awning against our van, the huge stall tents ready and the stock all unpacked.

And then we had two 10 minute busts of rain that produced about 2 inches of rainfall...my mug was outside and it was half full.

The children didn't mind - they'd relaxed into the camping....

Rain gone and it was a barbeque for tea....

Timehop kindly supplied me with a very similar image from exactly 2 years ago - which is lovely to see, it really marks the changes - not least in my ability to take a photo! They don't look much bigger until you see how well they fill their chairs.

Sausages and ribs eaten - and time for bed...

It's the first time my son has slept in a cab bunk in this van - he loves it..

 

Sunday we were up the usual 'bright and early', and could watch the whole ground fill up with traders, concourse vehicles and club displays. By 10am (public opening time) we were already pretty busy.
 

Campertronic sell just about anything electrical for your Volkswagen and equipment for camping in a van, as well as offering key cutting and programming, so Dave spends most of his time out and about visiting other people's vehicles or cutting keys. Hence the need for someone to help with the children.

So we took the 4 children and all went for a walk round the show...

And the fair...which wasn't as cripplingly expensive as you'd imagine - they got £4 each. We're harsh, but not enough to cause complaint....

 

 

And the smiles are worth every penny....plus the fact it takes us back 8 or 9 years to when we used to have 4 little ones with only a 2 year age gap between them all. I got quite nostalgic...

We resisted the gorgeous cakes and bought everyone an ice cream instead...it turned out to be more messy, but don't worry, no photo's! 

There's a saying that 'if you put VW on anything people will buy it'. 

Some people make best use of this.....

And some people are just hilarious...

End of the day we packed up and said our 'goodbye's'. It was an absolutely brilliant weekend and if it has shown me anything it's that I've missed camping and we have to get our purple camper van back on the road!

Someone was too tired to smile.....