I

nterestingly its organisers

Michael Warren, his brother

Ronald and their friends Jack

and Tom, knew very little about

Volkswagens or the VW show

scene prior to TOMIE. So how

did it all materialise in the first

place then? “It kind of found us,”

jokes Michael! “The venue, the

Orsett Showground, approached us

with a view to holding some kind

of event there. We didn’t know

what to run and then someone

suggested a campervan meet, but

we knew nothing about campervans

whatsoever. So effectively we

organised the first meet from

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS: PAUL BUSSEY.

TOMIE, an abbreviation for The Only Meet is Essex, had its name inspired

endearingly from TOWIE, a popular television show all about Essex guys

and girls, was first held six years ago.

scratch. For the first TOMIE none of

us had got a Volkswagen between us,

so I thought it would be a good idea

to purchase myself a Beetle, a 1303S

and so it was a steep learning curve.”

Clearly Michael and his team were

quick learners and the sixth TOMIE

took place over the first May bank

holiday weekend. The Orsett

Showground is an enormously

flat grass field, located in South

Essex, just a stones’ throw from

the M25 and attracted enthusiasts

not only from Essex, where there’s

a huge classic VW presence, but

also from South London, Kent,

Surrey, East Sussex, Suffolk and

Buckinghamshire.

“Campers started to arrive from

10am on Friday morning,” continues

Michael. “Advanced ticket sales

soared for 2019, but due to an

adverse weather forecast, a good

many decided not to attend, but

nevertheless, it has still been an

excellent attendance with campers.

One of the entertainment themes

for 2019 has been a circus skills

workshop, with a fire eating show

for Sunday evening. There were

several live bands playing over the

weekend, including local Orsett

based The Earnshaws, the Decades

Showband from Ramsgate, Kent and

DJ Andy Bigfoot on Friday night.

1: Plenty of Beetles

in the Show ‘n’

Shine, including this

rather immaculate

modified example

2: Very tidy Karmann

Ghia Coupe looks

just right sitting on

Fuchs alloy wheels.

3: Caravelle Club

with rooftop

camping tent set-up

4: Scott Elsey’s Split/

Bay was another

former VW C&C

feature bus

5: Well used 1979

Bay Window

panelvan

6: Harry and Rose

Cove with their

1966 Type 2, all

original and owned

from new

TOMIE

7: Steve Neal’s 1957

Type 2 has been

much modified

8: Bex Wilson works

in Switzerland

9: Nigel Broatch’s

rather rustic T25,

now on its third

engine and having

clocked up almost

200,000 miles

10: An absence of

bling

11: Steve Jemison’s

“Harry the High -Top”

12: Rigid sided pop

roof gives this away

as an Autohomes

Kamper

13: Anne and Nick

Scott with their 1959

Type 2 panelvan

1

2

34 SHOWwww.volkswagencamper.co.uk

SHOWTHE ONLY MEET IS ESSEX