June 2023 Bongo Bash at Stourport (This was the Thursday, with more to arrive)
This website is here to help all those who own, or plan to buy, a Mazda Bongo (or Ford Freda*) (Throughout this site, click on images to enlarge and see credits). If you find this site useful, or feel it could help others, please mention it. If you can’t find something, try putting it in the search box (right of this homepage, or top right above tabs), or look at the site map. If it exists, you will be shown any relevant pages. You may then have to look through the pages shown. External site links from tabs are labelled (es).
Please note: This is a static information site to help get people started. If you need to contact me about a revision of something already existing, please use the contact form. Bear in mind that no personal help can be provided, beyond what is contained within the website.
"We're all going on a... summer holiday..." (by Philip H)
This website was created after I joined some of the facebook groups, Mazda Bongo Owners Club being the biggest, with over 10,000 members. Unfortunately, the admins of that group were not keen on people being directed to other websites, such as Bongo Buddy, no matter how useful and as a result, I am no longer running an events diary, or answering contact questions.The facebook groups have proven to be an excellent meeting place that has brought together a friendly group of owners – and prospective owners. During my time on facebook, I noticed that a lot of repetition for the same help or information was being requested, even though posted previously – sometimes on the same day or within the same week. With sometimes large memberships in the facebook groups, it is hardly surprising that information disappears from the main pages very quickly – although you can use the search facility in any facebook group, to locate past topics of conversation. Also look in the files and events sections of facebook groups.
Bongo Fury
Although facebook is used by most people for daily discussion and instant help, the main and original international club for Bongo and Freda owners is Bongo Fury, based in Sheffield, UK, run by Ian and Marianne Maynard. The club charges a small yearly membership (from £16.50) and has a vast amount of information and help files, available to its members. Along with this, several member events are run throughout the year, the largest being the famous ‘UK National Bongo Bash – Stourport’, usually mid June. Bongo Buddy is grateful for the support of Bongo Fury in recommending this website for general information and resources to support the Bongo community.
Bongo Buddy has aggregated some of the best advice and information from the various owner groups, so that their members can direct people to the otherwise repeated information on facebook and in forums. Bongo Buddy is not a commercial website, receives no payments for advertising, and is openly public for free use. I personally do not sell any merchandise from this website, or personally gain from the free listings of the businesses shown on the website.
Impartial information is collected and collated from various places around the internet, but is not taken from private member areas of other sites, unless permission is sought and/or given, or it also appears publicly in other places.
Richard Gentle
(Left banner photo: Under the Perseid meteors in the Brecon Beacons – Grant Hyatt)
(Right banner photo: Cliffs seen from Filey – Richard Gentle)
*Ford Freda is the same as a Mazda Bongo – just badged by Ford. Throughout this website, I simply refer to ‘Mazda Bongo’, to save a long name description.
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