Dub Odyssey VW Festival

Families relaxed in the company of love bugs and camper vans when Sheffield Volkswagen Owners Club brought its Dub Odyssey enthusiasts event to Hooton Lodge, near Kilnhurst, on Saturday and Sunday.

Visitors from across the country flocked to the rural camp site to enjoy an eclectic collection of customised German vehicles, live music, trade stalls, food and drink.

And event organiser Becky Gill said that she was “amazed” by the success of the event since it moved to the Rotherham Borough four years ago.

She said: “Just a few years ago our annual show was just a few dozen people camping and a couple of trade stalls.

“The moment we came to Hooton Lodge the success of the event took us completely by surprise, to be honest.

“In the first year we came we had 1,800 visitors, there were 2,400 the following year and last year we were close to 3,500. This year has been our most successful ever.”

Dub Odyssey is a not-for-profit operation and ploughs much of its profits into the following year’s event.

Other proceeds are divided equally between St Luke’s Hospice and the Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

The Sheffield Volkswagen Owners Club claims to be the oldest club of its kind in the UK.

It was started by Jack Gilder — founder of the Gilder group of car dealerships — after he began importing Volkswagen Beetles from Germany in the early 1950s.

Now the club has around 300 members and the current craze for classic Volkswagens looks set to see that figure soar.

Becky, who works at Magna, said: “It’s crazy what has happened to the Volkswagen owners community.

“I’ve had my 1960’s split-screen camper for six years now and in that time its value has just shot up.

“It’s almost a middle-class occupation now, but there’s still a great community feel about events like ours.

“There’s nothing like loading the camper up after work on a Friday and heading to a show with the kids on board. It’s magic.”

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