Saturday 7 January 2017

Brighton Breeze 2016 (bonus blog review)

Welcome to my first blog review of 2017, and I would like to start by wishing you all a very Happy New Year. To kick the new off off this weeks blog review is a bonus blog review (as I took more photos than I thought I had!) about the annual Brighton Breeze VW show, which this year (or rather last year) was held on Saturday 1st October 2016 on Maderia Drive in town of Brighton. The Brighton Breeze show is organised by the S.S.V.C. (The Split Screen Van Club) which founded in 1983 by a group of guy's who loved the split screen buses. The main purpose of the club was to preserve the pre '67 Volkswagen split screen and all the expertise needed to maintain and restore them and keep them on the road. The S.S.V.C. attend many shows throughout the year, and each year they put on their own show, called The Brighton Breeze. The show is held in the same location every year, along Maderia Drive in Brighton, West Sussex on the south coast of England. Maderia Drive runs East / West from Brighton Pier to Black Rock and is only a stones throw from Brighton's infamous South facing pebble beach. Brighton Breeze is always held on the first Saturday of October, and this is a show I have attended for many years. Being a south facing beach, if the weather is good, it is really good, however if the weather is bad, then you really are in trouble. Over the years I have experienced 70 degree heat with blazing sunshine (including getting sun burnt) to storm conditions with high winds and almost horizontal rain with freezing temperatures and as it's held in October this shows success really is in the hands of the weather. This year's forecast wasn't good with rain forecast all day but that didn't put me off, I mean how bad could it be!? So early on the Saturday morning I set off for the South coast. The review continues as I carry on wandering around the show trying to avoid the heavy downpours of rain.
To see all my other blog entries, go to ‘My Blog Archive’ to the left of this page. Simply click on an arrow for a particular year, then click on an arrow for a particular month, this will then give you a drop down menu for all the blog entries for that month.


This easily recognisable spilt screen bus belongs
to a Facebook friend of mine, Nick. It's always
good to see this bus at a show as it looks so
nice. As I type this, Nick's 'Marmite' bus is in the
workshop having a makeover and I think possibly
a respray.

I can't wait to see the new look 'Marmite' bus
and see what modifications Nick has had carried
out. I just hope the bus will continue with it's
'Marmite' theme, which I'm sure it will

There were numerous beach buggies at the
Brighton Breeze show but this green Bugle 2
model (I think) looked fantastic. I do like the
beach buggy, and if I was a hardier person or
lived in a warmer climate I could easily have
one to cruise around in. 

Classic bugs and buses line the entire length
of Maderia Drive in Brighton. 

New and old side by side. Although the event
is organised by the S.S.V.C. the show is open
to any type of Volkswagen.

This mango and white split screen looked cool
parked up in the sun. It's unusual to have the
mango colour on top and the white as the lower
body colour, normally it's the other way round but
this old bus did look really nice.

A great selection of air-cooled Volkswagen's
parked up along the sea front of Brighton. Here
2 late bays are parked up at either end of an
early Westfalia bay.

As I was wandering around taking photos this
lovely 1966 pastel blue and white split screen
slowly cruised past looking for somewhere to
park up. 

Buses of various types and years all parked
up together in the sunshine along Maderia Drive.
Once the rain cleared we had a lovely blue
sky with plenty of sunshine.

Early bays, late bays and split screens of all
years and styles parked side by side. The
sheer number of vehicles, and the diversity
of styles really does make for a fantastic
display.

It isn't all buses at Brighton Breeze as this
stunning white 1964 Karmann Ghia proves.
This really was a clean and straight example
of this classic car.

 A great photo showing the diversity of just
two of the split screen buses on show at
Brighton Breeze. A lowered RAT looking
crew cab pick up and an immaculate bus in
pristine condition.

The 1961 split screen crew cab pick up belongs
to a mate of mine, Josh. This bus was imported
from the West coast of America after a journey
from it's home of Peru.

Josh's pick up has an 1841cc engine and IRS
rear suspension. It has been lowered and now
runs on those lovely Radar wheels.

If you like your split screen panel vans with a
RAT look then you'll love this beauty. The overall
look was great with the patina'd paint, full length
roof rack and Fuchs wheels.

I did like the look of this old panel van. The
two small windows that have been added looked
just about right, as did the sir scoops.

I'm not sure what this recess would have been
originally for but it now houses a electric hook
up plug.

An abundance of colour from all the classic
Volkswagen's parked up at Brighton Breeze.

This 1971 bay looked super low which was
enhanced by the black wheels. This was a 
lovely clean bay that looked great in the winter
sunshine.

Another blue bay was this 1969 imported bay.
This was another solid looking bus that looked
cool parked up next to the beach.

Bug's and buses parked up in the winter sun-
shine. As I've mentioned earlier the variety of
both air cooled and water cooled Volkswagen's
that attend this one day show is immense.

This lovely 1971 Jurgens Autovilla. Jurgens
Caravans were an established motor caravan
conversion company based in South Africa. The

Jurgens Autovilla is actually the predecessor of
the Karmann Gipsy. The Autovilla was very well
equipped with a built in shower, safari rear 
window, 2 burner gas hob with grill, sink, fridge
and sleep four people.

Since arriving in the U.K. the Autovilla has had
a microwave and a propex heating system fitted,

something which the owner doubts would have 
been needed back in South Africa!

A cool looking 1971 Cal Look beetle parked
 up next an equally cool looking white over 
green late bay.

Looking out towards the English Channel and
along the rear of this gorgeous 1974 metallic
bronze late bay.

This is the front end of the lovely 1969 blue bay 
(above) with it's painted Union flag on the front
clip. The patina'd ensign looked cool.

A fantastic display of vintage Volkswagen's
in the sunshine. 

A small part of the split screen van line up, well
apart from my early bay that I sneaked in.

Looking down at Maderia Drive from the top of
the promenade. You can see just how close this
great one day show is from the beach / sea.

The Brighton Breeze is held in an ideal location
right on the sea front, and if the weather is
good it's a fantastic place to spend the day.

Looking West towards Brighton town centre
and the pier. Maderia Drive is crammed full
of Volkswagen's of all descriptions. The line
up of vehicles goes to virtually down to the pier.

And looking East towards the marina (the dark
coloured buildings jutting out into the sea)

This lovely early bay was another vehicle that 
came over from Europe, either France or
Belgium probably... and it looked fantastic.

Just a handful of bugs that attended the Breeze.
The patina's early bug in the foreground came
over from Belgium. I did like the patina on this
car and the overall look.

This gorgeous 1970 beetle had been painted
in the famous 'Gulf' racing colours and looked
stunning. I did like the matching Fuchs styles
wheels.

Another European bus to venture over to
Brighton was this early bay camper. I have to 
admit I'm not sure what this is, or even whether
it's a factory built unit or homemade, but I did
like it.

It's shape is unique and looked to have plenty
of room inside. This really was one cool ride.

So that was the bonus review of the Brighton
Breeze VW show 2016. (if you missed the main
3 part review on this show you can find them at
the top left of this page under 'My blog archive'
Even though the weather started off wet, it did
brighten up around lunchtime which always
makes an outdoor show more enjoyable. Overall
this was a great day out, and I can recommend
this show if you haven't been before. There is
so much to see and do, especially as it's
 located so close to Brighton city centre.
Next week's review is a 3 part review of the Slough
Swapmeet. So don't forget to come back next week.

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