I came across a thread on the The Cal-look Lounge - Index which invited members to post their list of top 10 people that personally influenced them in their VW pursuits: Below is a screenshot of Our Great Friend Jamie Palmer's response which he wrote on the 5th February 2008 (circa 32 years of age at the time), beautifully and thoughtfully written and I post it here in the hope that some of the people mentioned take something good away from it.
Text format as follows:
"Hey guys, my list of the big influences... no especially well
known folks, but they're the big names to me none the less. In no particular
order:
No.1) My Dad, took me to the VW Action UK shows in the early
80's when I was knee high to a grass hopper... some of my best childhood
memories are of riding in the back of his 1970 Beetle in the luggage area
behind the back seat and falling asleep to the steady thrum of a flat four.
Yeah, we didn't really have many toys ;) hehe...
No.2) Lee, my big bro. We mispent most of our youth together
messing with old wrecks, and seem to be trying to ruin the rest of our lives
doing more of the same!
No.3) Mark, my other big bro who let me help him build his
first brit-come-cal looker in the late eighties. I say help, what I actually
mean is he didn't get too mad when I sprayed his wheels black and managed to
get over spray all over his new paint job on the bug itself...
No.4) Would be my cuz, Paul B, some of you may know him as
poe... the time we spent at school together reading Volksworld instead of
studying truly makes a mockery of the british education system :) Then the
trips out more recently (school days are LONG gone) in his 2332cc 12 second
street bug finally got me into SPEED.
No.5) John Walklett - a local guy who is a bit of a
performace guru, knows his onions and is good company to boot. He also enjoys
scaring the diddly out of me in his bug regularly.
No.6) Not one person - but two! The Brothers Lovatt - Chris
& John, for always making my sides ache at any show or get together we
have. Congrats on the birth of your little boy John!
No.7) KS - Cal Look book, just awesome and as far as I'm
concerned steered the UK's scene in the direction to where it is today, turning
out some awesome cars.
No.8) Brian Burrows, the man behind most of the shows we
enjoy in the UK today.
No.9) Would be all the people in my local VW club - SAS VW's
- we all get on so well and have so much fun, I look forward to another year of
fun with you all!
No.10) My loving wife & kids for putting up with me
& my VW obsession!!!
Cheers guys, great thread!"
