The absence of Dubfreeze left a February-sized hole in our events calendar. We had been regular patrons of the Dubfreeze and even Bugfreeze before that for those of you old enough to remember. Sadly, the final Dubfreeze was in February 2020. The saddest part was that none of us knew it would be the last Dubfreeze.

4×4 Expo to the rescue

Another regular event at Stafford Showground took an opportunity to expand its offering. Billed as the biggest, busiest and best indoor 4×4 show in the UK, 4×4 Expo opened the doors to other halls on the showground to welcome VW owners to a new event to fill the Dubfreeze void – Vee Dub Show was born.

It just so happened that 4×4 Expo was held at the showground around the same weekend that Dubfreeze would have been traditionally held.

We booked in for the first Vee Dub Show last year (2023). We had a gap in our calendar and thought it would be good to revisit Stafford Showground. We were also quite interested to see what was in the other halls with the 4x4s!

That first year was great. There weren’t many VW traders there, but there were a few big names from the VW scene that had given their backing. As a club, we did well out of attending. A big hello to all the new members that joined us at the show!

An idea to grow

Sadly, 2024 didn’t repeat. We can’t quite put our finger on it, but it just didn’t work as well for us this year. Our takings on our club stall were down almost 50%. We even had the same spot, and the same traders around us. It didn’t feel quiet, there were still plenty of people around. But it didn’t feel the same as 2023, which is a real shame.

The biggest disappointment for us though is the ‘show & shine’. We know we shouldn’t compare, but Dubfreeze always had a very busy display of VWs. At the Vee Dub Show, it feels like a bit of an afterthought.

Next door in the 4×4 Expo, there’s some amazing machinery spread through the halls. However, with the Vee Dub Show, in a quiet hall, furthest away from the entrance, there’s a sparse display of VWs. It all just feels a little lacklustre.

We hope the organisers can continue to grow the event, but we urge them to put a little more heart into the VW halls and bring them up to par with the 4×4 expo.

Anyway, here’s a selection of the VWs that were on display… enjoy!