Bockhorn: quite a busy day

During a visit to fellow villager, friend and dump engine parts (scrabble!) dealer Gerrit Kranenberg, he asked if I would like to come along to the fair in Bockhorn. I had never visited that fair before, so that we were going to drive at five o'clock was happily accepted. At about half past four in the morning it is nice and quiet in Dieren on Sunday and on the way to Bockhorn. But it is and remains about a three hour drive.

Usually Gerrit is in Bockhorn with MZ, Hercules and Sachs stuff, plus some special headlights and taillights. But after the Coronas, he first just wanted to see how the flag looked in that part of Germany where you can buy a detached house for a ton.

We got there at eight and started with a leisurely breakfast. Then we went into the parts fields. The fair in Bockhorn is large and a kind of anchor point in the aforementioned poor North German peatland. In terms of parts range, think of a kind of Hardenberg XXL including cars with an equally friendly atmosphere. The division is done in thematic fields, with the meadow with the last, unexpected registrations being the most surprising.

Despite the massive offer, I couldn't cross anything off my Dnepr / Ural wish list

The formerly so many ex-Eastern Bloc providers that were apparently present were simply not there. Maybe because of the troubles in the region? Perhaps from the idea that Russian stuff is now emotionally a bit too hot, while Dneprs are really Ukrainian? 

But otherwise there was something for everyone at a realistic pricing

Of course, Gerrit also looked with his entrepreneurial eye. He saw that the suppliers of Kreidler headlight rings and a few types of Hella taillight things including the 'flat' taillights such as those on VW vans and VW 181 were considerably cheaper than those on the fair.

Saved by the Net

But then a problem arose: Gerrit, who thought that Tinternet would never bring him anything, now runs at 80+% digital sales in terms of turnover. Once an acquaintance of a friend of a nephew of a fellow villager made the Gekra site. Gerrit's site is an open source thing, which apparently is quite dated and since a last update Gerrit is no longer able to put new photos on his site. While the boy who once made the site for him is out of the picture.

And Gerrit is not the man to deal with fast site builders

Then you are sitting behind a glass of lager and a portion of Bratwurst pondering and suddenly you are approached by an ex-villager Laurensz. Laurensz prescribes too much hay and too much grass Auto Motor Klassiek and had since moved to Germany. From a generational point of view, he is closer to the digital world than Gerrit or I. And together we decided that we should send Vladimir whom I did not know, but who lives nearby, to Gerrit to help him with the site. Vladimir works at the DIY garage Rubocars in Spankeren. And I have known Ruud from Rubocars for years. It's a small world.

A long story short

We walked for hours, looking at parts, classic motorcycles and cars. We indulged in Cholesterol + and drove back to Dieren. On the way home I saw that there was still activity at the DIY garage. Ruud and Vladimir were still working privately. I didn't know it at all, but Vladimir who speaks perfect Dutch is Ukrainian. And IT person. And motorcyclist. And yes, he wanted to take a look at Gerrit's site. But he was quite busy, because he also transports relief goods to Ukraine. And then you suddenly remember that there were no suppliers of Urals and Dneprs on Bockhorn. While Vladimir commutes between here and there. In the meantime, consideration is being given to how Vladimir Dnepr can take things with him as return freight. Because after another phone call, Richard Busweiler turned out to be interested.

Driven for six hours, walked for six hours, ate Bratwurst and 'Pommes', enjoyed it, but didn't buy a part. And with a few conversations and phone calls, a whole world of plans and possibilities was taken. Now just have to wait for Hardenberg!