Volkswagen Camper & Commercial – May 2019

C

ologne is known for its

Cathedral, but it also has

some excellent and wild

forests nearby. Deep in

the heart of the forest is a secluded

and hidden camping ground, chosen

as the location for the German T2

Club’s annual get together.

The IG T2 Club was founded by

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS: HUBERT RECHMANN

You won’t see Teddy Bears, or Robin Hood,

just trees and Bay window buses

enthusiasts back in 1993, so 2018

was an important milestone being

the Silver |Anniversary of 25 years of

the Club. Initially only for T2a (early

Bays) it very soon became the place

for all Bay window bus owners to

share their love of the Bulli.

Close by the camping ground is

a mini golf facility and also a wild

animal zoo for European animals,

so there were things for children

and families to do nearby. The

meeting was held over three days

and early arrivals on the Friday took

the chance to visit Cologne and the

club organised a walking tour of the

centre and the great church (I am

from Dusseldorf and we say this and

not the word Cathedral!)

On the camping ground, apart

from manyT2 buses of all sorts

was a bouncy castle provided by

VW Nutzfahrzeuge, a pop-up bar

and even a pig roast! At the bar you

could buy cola, water, lemonade

and Kölsch. Kölsch is the local beer

from Cologne, a light colour that

the Dusseldorfers, who drink brown

Alt-beer not yellow Kolsch, say

looks like (insert uncomplimentary

term here!). (I love Kolsch myself

• David) The club also arranged a
  scavenger hunt in the forest and

1: No room at the

Inn! Or camping

area!

2: Early style Westy

turret top could still

be ordered until 1972

3: Hopefully just a

co-incidence the

ambulance was

parked next to the

Hog Roast?

4: Unusual

demountable

coupled to a T2

Pick Up

5: Another fire truck

in red and white. I

love the original pole

spotlight mounted

on the front side

1

1

2

6: Ex-army

ambulance with

wilderness camping

tent on the roof

7: Mint Red Cross

ambulance still had

all its original fittings

and equipment

inside

8: Lunchtime

German style

86 EVENTwww.volkswagencamper.co.uk

EVENTANNUAL IGT2 MEETING, GERMANY

If You Go Down to

the Woods Today ...