2014: 100,000 visits. 87 posts, 10 shows, 7 Beetles, 5 websites/magazines, 2 cover stories, 1 loyal family.

Credit: Aaron Slater. I miss my beard.

100,000 visits. 87 posts, 7 Beetles, 5 websites/magazines, 2 cover stories, 1 loyal family. A memoir about 2014 a very huge, global nutshell.

Thank you all.

2014 has given me the most wonderful memories, and I have finally been able to lay to rest the hope that the succeeding year will be a better one. In the 20 years I have graced this Earth to wish for I have witnessed some good, but mainly a lot of turmoil. 2014 has the eternal accolade of being a year where I have been able to look back, smile and have a hint of disappointment that it was all over.

Like a Blockbuster movie (which we saw the remnants and dust of the VHS rental chain at the beginning of 2014 mind you), it had it all. Guns, Boobs, Glamour, the LOT!

So before you all scroll down, get bored and have a look at the pictures, I want to thank each and every one of you who has been involved in the build process for not only Lennon but all the other Beetle's throughout the year. So Elliot the transportation man, Doug, Dale, VW Heritage for Parts (who I now work for!), and my beloved family I thank you all for ensuring this madness was built to last.

Also, I want to say thanks to everyone who gave me a shot in writing. That would be Kate Bedward from ClassicVolks.com, Jason from the legendary Rothfink who allowed me to get the contact to meet Ig at VW Vibe for my first ever story in a VW Magazine, which only then gone and hit the cover on my first attempt.

It only paid off because from there, I hit the big time for me in the form of a gig writing for Ultra VW which again culminated in another front cover (albeit not the feature) for November 2014's issue. I am unbelievably stoked about that and I always will be.

But mainly it was a year where my skills and talents started to show through. Writing. How was it possible? Like most success stories of course... by doing bugger all at your workplace.

From the VW side, I wasn't in my poster boy Lennon at the beginning of the year but rather his predecessor, McCartney. 2014 was suffice to say in the early months, very rotten as McCartney, a 1968 Beetle, wasn't the most co-operative of cars. Frequently breaking down was his thing and although he served me a few thousand miles and a brilliant photoshoot by my very good friend, lover, and confidante* (no homo) Aaron Slater before his engine finally got the better of me on the biggest day of all...

Lennon, the blessing in disguise...

Lennon, a 1967 Beetle which are one of the most sought after Beetle's around was an absolute pig to restore and an absolute money pit for all of us involved. However, this car has brought us immense joy and he will be a servant to the team for years to come I am certain. All hail Lennon!

2 engine changes, a respray, many long nights, tears and bloodshed.

Here was the transformation:

2014 also showed us that my dad has a brilliant knack for being the ultimate photobomber. 

More than just a new set of rims and a respray. Believe me.

The VW family grew very strong in 2014 and Lennon and McCartney weren't the only boys in the team.

We welcomed Parker who was our small project and left in April 2014.

We wish Parker well wherever you are!

April marked another addition, the coolest of all, Jake Bugg!

A fun fact that Lennon was the original concept for Jake Bugg (and most of the finances too). Suffice to say Jake is still in the state he was purchased at, albeit a lot more solid!

We also said hello to Sting! Originally dubbed the Silver Hornet, he is my other car that has yet to be completed. Although this dear boy does run now which is pretty amazing after 18 years of being stagnant on a driveway at his previous owner. 

Expect more of him in 2015.

Last but certainly not least, we welcomed The Swede into our wonderful family of Bugs! Not a lot really needs to be said about The Swede, he just looks incredible.

Best of all, the only one to stick through it all in 2014? Loyal Doris.

SEE YOU ALL IN 2015!

Bugs in Blankets

Merry Christmas to all that celebrate it and of course Happy Holidays to the 7 billion (and counting) folk in this very small world we call Earth.

A year ago for me has been a very long, yet very interesting one, Last Christmas, I would be talking to my family about McCartney and how troublesome he was on a daily basis for me. 

But the turning point was May, McCartney had gone to a new owner and I welcomed his successor, Lennon to the fray and the rest really was history.

It turns out he was a pretty good singer, too. Here is my car personified for Christmas. 

Merry Christmas everyone, and I will see you all just before New Year for a full scale recap on my life and times of VW ownership which has been unbelievable in every sense of the word.

Now get drunk and fat, it's Christmas!!!

Off Topic: A Helping Hand at Christmas Time

Donating just £10 isn't much, but it's enough to help make a difference for Shelter.

Christmas. December 25th. Not long now.

Get up in the morning, put on your smartest designer clothes and mull over in your mind about what your loving family might have purchased for you to show their love and affection towards you this year, or to keep you quiet in the consumer boom that is Christmas time. After all, it is about giving and receiving so you think about if your presents are the best choices this year, if your SO will be happy with the 5th handbag or jewellery that she absolutely needed and if the Turkey is going to be piping hot and cooked to perfection with all the trimmings.

When you're unwrapping you presents, you're evidently ecstatic with your purchases and gifts, thinking about a strong haul this time around and with the cash injection you received from your parents this season, you start to inadvertently think what deals you could snap up in the Boxing Day sales as your financial windfall ultimately eases the pressure just before payday.

But, just a thought. When you go out and shop until you drop, making your boyfriend (or girlfriend if you're full of year round 'Christmas Cheer' hold their bags while they enjoy a fun, expensive day, shopping until they drop with the latest fashion, gadgets and technology. In the midst of that, in the bigger cities, such as

Brighton, East Sussex, it's almost certain that you will walk past someone who has nothing this Christmas, not a single present to their name, no money in a Christmas card, nor will they have no one to love in a warm and toasty bed and may have to make do with only leftover cold turkey to enjoy later after the whole Christmas season is well and truly finished with.

Spare a thought for the thousands of homeless folk in and around our wonderful nation. Not for a second must you think that they are outside in the freezing cold because they are 'actors' because you once read in the Daily Mail that opportunists sit on the streets for pocket money. This is a real problem at stake and one that people should address en masse. But sadly, people will be thinking about that bargain in the sale or the joys of their 10% student discount this season.

I am not religious, nor do I really enjoy Christmas a great deal but other's do. Homeless people enjoy Christmas too and relish a chance to relive happy days with a roof under their heads. Love one another and spare a little to the people that are hard up on the streets this season. They're only human like you and I.

So, what I have done is donated £10 to Shelter. A charity that I know do good causes for addressing the homeless problem we have in the UK and give people that little bit of hope, especially when it's sub zero out there. I know it's not a great deal, but I am happy that I have donated to helping the cause and make someone's day come December 25th.

Forget that pint, or the tin of Celebrations, just donate what you can and I assure you at this time, the time for giving and receiving as you do with family, friends, and significant others just do the same to someone who really needs it because I am sure if you were in the same position, they'd certainly help you out if you were dealt a bad hand in the game of poker we all endure called Life.

Enjoy your Christmas, or holiday season (depending on your faith of course!), but spare a thought and it will go a long way than that beer you thought about purchasing.

Ultra VW: Good Times

We made the front cover again, albeit not as the featured story. Nonetheless, that works out at a 100% story:cover ratio!

A fantastic year isn't complete yet as the ball keeps rolling, even in the off season.

When I am not tinkering, or at least watching and learning with my Bugs or not indulging in driving them each day to work or to lovely places like the lake or into my hometown cruising around the lanes and streets with people looking at me and my car in a true narcissistic fashion, I tend to indulge in chasing the opposite sex in the shyest fashion possible (which is my true nature, it's easier to write it on a piece of paper), or at least consider doing so.

However, throughout all that, I still find the time to write and this particular piece is no different. 

We, not I, we, have made it into the proper big leagues. I am in this month's Ultra VW Magazine writing in the feature named 'Pride n Joy'. For those of you who aren't aware of Ultra VW, it's a magazine that takes a look on the most striking cars that are currently roaming around the roads of the UK, or merely sitting in the garages of their owner's properties in the winter time, much like myself. The unique selling point of this magazine is that it taps into the younger generation and serves as a silent 'baton handler' to the younger folk who will one day overcome and run the VW scene, displaying some incredible rides and trends in the process.

And I have had a chance to show my skills to many, many people!

I'd like to thank everyone of you who have taken the time to go out of your way to read an excerpt of my writing. That could be a post from my blog, or even a copy of this month's Ultra VW which is in all good magazine retailers (Tesco, W.H. Smith's etc.). To have an opportunity to write to a larger audience is just insane and it makes the sad days when everyone of us gets up in the dark and cold mess which is an English Winter (something I struggle with) that little bit easier. 

It's all smiles for the time being!

Granted, I am a miserable little shit but it does at least provoke a smile on my face when I see that I have contributed to society in a minor way. So thank you all. Thank you to my readers, the ones who have had belief in my writing since day one. Thank you to the one's who don't care about me writing either as it spurs me on to quietly convert you while you roam and surf the billions of pages on the internet to choose my one, just for a moment. Now, after this post is published, I can go back to being the miserable little shit I am and beaver away on new content and find the point of satisfaction.

To the other 6.999999 billion people in the world that I haven't reached yet, I'll be there one day.

I'd like to thank Paul Knight from Ultra VW for the opportunity to write for a fantastic magazine and I sincerely hope it's a start of a fruitful creative working relationship. 

Finally, I'd like to mention that the owner of the Split Screen Bus you see in the photo's is courtesy of Dan Schrader. A great guy and I am extremely proud that I had the chance to write about your awesome bus. I hope to see you at shows in 2015!

Auto Art #3: Progress!

Alas, a lapse in blogging and no doubt, general life and times has meant I have pushed on through the evenings with some more good ol' fashioned 'Bombing!

As you can see, I am starting to make some progress with the stickerbombing project and I am pleased to announce, the passenger's side is looking pretty decent with another hundred plus stickers added to the foray.

Have I created any particular pattern or design? Of course not. I prefer to go all out as that best describes me. Different. Left-field. Calculated madness et al. However, I want to commit to finishing this project as truthfully, there's no going back and there will be no going back!

Here is the latest update, but it is ever so slightly starting to take shape which is certainly pleasing.

Auto Art #2: Small Gains

I announced to my community that I am embarking in a project of automobile artistry. I am pleased to show you a few photo's of the first update in this frankly mad idea.



The 6n 'Bomber is starting to show its first signs into a transformation from a haggard daily driver, to a haggard daily driver with a few stickers on it's body. Come on, it's only the start!



I aim to finish this project hopefully around March 2015 and like I mentioned previously, the WHOLE car will be completely covered and stickerbombed with various brands, logo's and probable lawsuits along the way.

As the first few stickers went on, I knew it was the right thing to do, I couldn't turn back now. The journey of controlled madness has begun.

If anyone has any stickers, please feel free to get in touch!

Auto Art: What on Earth Is This?

A blank canvas.

Although Aircooled > Watercooled in my opinion any day of the week, I, as much as the next person prefers the warmth in the winter.

I am talking from experience after a frankly diabolical 2013/2014 winter series of drives to the next town along to see my girlfriend at the time, or for a 'leisurely' drive in the driving rain and floods to go with it and dressing light in a Liam Gallagher-esque parka, two pairs of gloves to drive in, and thermals was only just the start, but moreover spelled the end of trekking around rough winters in a Beetle as it destroyed my last Bug.

Nevertheless, in order to preserve my pride and joy(s), I turned to a watercooled 'wagen for the winter and I have a chance to introduce my next budget (I stress that) project and the latest introduction of what I like to call the SPECIAL FORCES team, as they are the servicemen and women that do the work behind the scenes to ensure the Beetle's are the best they can be when it comes to the camera, the next show, or even the following day trip to work.

As some may now know, I am an enthusiast in making a scene and inspiring folks of the world and I can assure you this project is going to be no different.

Meet Rolo the Polo, 'The Bomber'. Why is 'The Bomber'? Well, I am afraid I can't answer that just yet.

My boy is 18, legal, and easy. Mod Con's that I have not experienced since learning to drive such as power steering, heating, and an actual boot is a shocking development into the world of driving as I have well and truly leapt into the late 20th century for the next few months until the sun begins to show its face.

Automatic transmission means it will beat any car off the lights and the ability to left foot brake also prompts a welcomed number of points on my licence soon.

"It's Auto Art" they said. It will be. Will I ever be able to truly say it's a finished project? Not a chance.

Goodnight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite

Today marked the day where the Bugs headed in for hibernation as winter is well and truly upon the citizens of the UK, especially when on Thursday morning, it was just -2C. As hardcore and dedicated as I am as an aircooled VW enthusiast, it made the most sense with ultimate regret to call it a day and put my boy Lennon to bed, as well as our other Beetles in the five strong roster that I am proud to call a proper family collection. 

The move begins.

No doubt, I am proud to say that it's been an excellent year of VW restoration from starting the blog with just two cars and eventually expanding to a total of five with 8 Beetles gracing their character and presence on the driveway for what undoubtedly has been the best year of my life as 2014 has allowed me, despite the bad, despite the unemployment, to understand what I so wonderfully enjoy in life and who I am as a person. 

So this morning, my family and I finally put our toys away in the garden until the weather perks up and that meant arguably a stressful and painful experience as moving cars isn't as easy as you first think. It's a godsend that Beetle's are generally light cars and I am not lugging around large Land Rovers!

I would like to say a few words on behalf of every single person who has read and visited my blog. Firstly, I never expected to see this explode as big as it has. Over 80,000 times my blog has been visited and I concurrently say that I am touched that so many people have take the time to read and enjoy a small insight into my life with the Beetles, as they have been so integral in my young life so far, at the age of 20 to own 3 classic cars with a watercooled car that I am yet to announce, it's amazing to see that people are thoroughly interested in what I have to share and I think that deserves a moment of reflection and ultimately, a big thanks to all of you. 

The move. Complete!

This doesn't mean I will stop blogging just because I don't have my Beetle's running around to and fro work, as I have a lot of scope to be talking about over the winter and planning new material in the process for 2015 and beyond. 

Alive and well: Jake Bugg.

I can announce that although Lennon & Co. are in their cosy beds, the Jake Bugg hype has only just begun and I will share more on that later. Sting is slowly gathering dust but is now solid as a rock so I'd like to share his progress with you soon and also announce our new introduction into the Special Forces team, which are only reserved for the watercooled, modern VW's of this world. On top of that, I have some brilliant writing news to tell you that I am tightly lipped about until the new year. 

It's been a good run boys. Goodnight Bugs, see you again in the new year. Readers, I'll see you next week!

Lake Take Two: Lennon

It feels a very long time since I last took a Beetle down to arguably one of the best vantage points in my local area, the undisclosed, secret lake. I remember the days when my boy at the time, McCartney, who is still going strong albeit with another owner, looked the bogs' dollocks at this particular lookout, only for his clutch to snap five minutes later.




However, fast forward to the end of the year. A surprisingly mild November afternoon set the scene for Lennon and his first visit to the spot that McCartney strutted his stuff months earlier.



Sadly, as the nights roll in and the temperature significantly, it's time to consider about putting Lennon to bed. As I become wisened with this aircooled malark, I soon learned after suffering one of the harshest winters on record that it's best to preserve your pride and joys and mess around in something a little more, regimented, warmer, and modern.



However, I still have a few days left of enjoying Lennon before he heads into hibernation for the winter!

Here are some photo's from the lake and I must say that Lennon is looking fantastic, much like the weather.

Also, I managed to grab a girl's phone number after we got chatting at the spot which was pretty cool.

Hell on Earth: Slough Swapmeet - 2nd November

The Slough Swapmeet may have been revived from the dead by what must seem like angel's in the VW scene but the setting, which is not too dissimilar to your local rundown leisure centre, was hell on earth.



For the non-British readers, any town/outside setting in the UK is usually described by the following term, a shithole. Slough Town Centre was none other then a big pile of steaming brown liquid created by your Dog who looks at you lovingly, wagging it's tail like nothing happened. I thoroughly do not recommend setting foot in Slough.

'Cars May Appear Quicker Than They Seem'

Anyway, toilet jokes aside it was show time! For me, it meant that my brand new camera was taken out for its maiden event which was pleasing. For others, it meant that shots of people looking suspect, idiotic, and mental are now upscaled into stunning High Definition.

As for the show, an early start meant an early finish. After working on earlier shifts recently, I felt fully prepared for the 6:30am wake-up call and 8:30am arrival for show day, as the show's parking was basically a logistical nightmare (a bit like Slough then really...). However, we had arrived early enough to bag a decent space next to several other fellow VW's and annoyed, athletic, do-gooders who love swimming early in the morning and travel up to the event in their Vauxhall Zafira with their 2.7 children. It was great to ride shotgun in good ol' reliable Doris, something that is commonplace for many shows, but has been subject to some great memories this year, so it felt right to take 'Do' out one more time for 2014 before she heads to bed as well.

A small wait was all that was needed upon arrival and when the clock struck 9:32 because the attendants were just as hungover as the majority of the visitors, the doors slowly opened and the eager traders were greeted with a wave of tired VW enthusiasts which I can only imagine was akin to a scene out of Dawn of the Dead, with all the Halloween vibes still going strong in many of our minds and blood streams.

After a walk around and persistent haggling with traders, we managed to grab a couple of good deals such as a cylinder head for £10 which is VERY CHEAP plus rear lights and a grille for our rolling '67 resto, Jake Bugg who has been somewhat on the fringes recently but should be experiencing some limelight and first team football in the coming days.

In terms of the traders, a notable mention was the boys at Ultra VW who I had a good chat with and purchased the latest edition, which I highly recommend!

Also, the wittiest item for sale was at Hayburner. What was it? A limited edition Hayburner Halford's Sponge of course!



Outside where the cars were parked wasn't too bad, the organisers managed to kettle the rowdy VW's from tormenting much of the car park and visitors into one area of the car park, but other's were let loose as it seemed like crowd control for the VW's wasn't high enough and reports of Overflow and Over-Overflow car parks was rumoured as the naughty VW's were causing enough of a fuss as the pretentious and often hard to understand classic cars were a force to be reckoned with in numbers.

Overall, the swapmeet was actually pretty good! It may seem like from my musings that it was a really poor show, but I was impressed and I am sure to (unfortunately) grace Slough with my presence in 2015. Maybe it might perk up the dreary town, who knows? It was about as good as a small show could get in the beginning of November really and to be saved from the depths of Slough Council, which in my eyes really is a rock-bottom moment in anyone's life, to be revived with a solid amount of hype and traders behind it made for a good event.

Really I was just happy to have a cheeky wee in Morrison's on the way home...

Anyway, here are the rest of the photo's, some of which may go on Pinterest this week.

"She's left you mate."

VolksWorld were trading too, we were lucky to grab some stickers from them!

A fellow '67! Stock Rocks!

Type 3 Represent.

STICKERBOMB! More on that.

This one felt rather out of place with the VW's.

hNNNG.