Junction29 - 1st Birthday - 14/11/2003

The 14th November has seen some important events. It saw the births of Claude Monet, King Hussein of Jordan, and Prince Charles. It saw the publication of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. It saw the first ever streetcar going into operation in New York in 1832 and the first train running through the channel tunnel 162 years later. Artists, Royalists, scientists and trainspotters might celebrate 14 November for any of these reasons, but future generations of Essex VW enthusiasts will remember it only as the anniversary of the first Junction29 meet.

It was a cold, wet Thursday night and I was late. As my red GTI splashed into the car park my headlights fell on three Golfs lined up in the car park. I introduced myself to Damo, Lisa and Tris and we headed inside to warm up. It wasn't the first time we had spoken - we'd all met on the CGTI forum - but it was great to put some faces to names. We chatted for ages before someone remembered that we'd each brought a car and we headed outside to take a look. By today's standards the line-up was relatively modest. Tris and I both had third-generation 8v GTIs, his black and standard, mine red, lowered and sporting brand new 17" alloys. Lisa had come in her 1.4CL, which she had just started to modify and Damo represented the mk2 brigade in his silver GL, which he was using as a runabout whilst he rebuilt his elusive oak-green GTI. After inspecting the vehicles, we went out for a drive through Rayleigh and the surrounding countryside until the rain beat down unbearably heavily, and we decided to call it a night.

The next day the pictures went up on the forum and we all agreed we should hold the 'Essex forum meet' again. The next month's meet didn't go quite so smoothly. I misunderstood where we were supposed to rendezvous and headed down to the Carpenter's Arms, which was to be our home for the next year. Everyone else was heading to Chelmsford to find me. Consequently, I arrived alone at the Arms, and was disappointed that no one had waited. Everyone else lost their way - and each other - in Chelmsford, arrived so late at the supposed meeting-place and assumed I'd given up waiting. That was Jeff's first meet, but it didn't put him off.

Over the next few months, the meet grew and grew. Some came, some went, but each month more cars were there. People started attending from as far as Burnham and Colchester, and the variety and quality of cars started to rise. The four cars from the first meet all disappeared - one through the Autotrader and three through accidents (out of which some were lucky to walk). Not to be deterred, we were all back with better cars. We began to realise that we really had started something and decided that we should perhaps move away from the CGTI website, so we started our own. But what to call it? 'EVO' and 'eastcoast' nearly made it, while 'The Rub-A-Dub Dub Club' was more easily dismissed. When Jules suggested Junction 29, there wasn't a discussion to be had. Stickers were made, a domain name was acquired, and Junction29 became part of the national scene.

Now that the club is affiliated with No-Rice in Guildford and with our new location and regular meets, our second year can only get better. Here's to 2004.

Words by Nick, pictures by Nick & Tris.