Early life

 I was born in Wansted East London and lived in the small town of Buckhurst Hill Essex most of my life until emigrating permanently to this glorious country 10 years ago.

 Cars and carpentry have been a part of me all my life, and my grandfather was a big influence on me growing up. He was a cabinet maker and a French polisher and some of my earliest memories are of me in his garage with him teaching me how to use chisels, planes and general carpentry bits and bobs. In that garage, there was always an old Austin or Morris kicking about, and a few Bedford and Morris campervans too, which may or may not be where I caught the romance of life on the road in a van.

Something that I have always admired and has stuck with me, was my Grandads passion, his craftmanship and his approach to his work. I still have his apprentice piece, a tool case, he made when qualifying as a cabinet maker in the 1930’s, a cabinet he made for my mother on her 21st and most of his tools that sit pride of place in my workshop.

 So, naming my business came easily, Croke for me and Carter for Grandad. And a nod to my parents who have been the best any son could ask for the since 1967 is the year they were married.

Volkswagens  

Volkswagens have been a passion of mine most of my adult life. In the 1990’s the UK VW scene was huge during my first year at university. Run to the sun, beetle bash and Bug jam were huge events, where you couldn’t move without seeing a brightly coloured beetle or slammed kombi cruising about in the summertime. Tim my flat mate drove a pastel green slammed ’67 beetle with the most ridiculous parrot motif interior when I first met him and it was then that I was introduced into the world of all things VW.

In 2000 to fuel my passion and to help pay for the cars I started work at a well-known aftermarket Volkswagen parts supplier and became Mail-order manager of their London Head office and later manager of their Flagship Branch in Thurrock Essex. The VW scene was still big and the show scene was a big influence in my thoughts and ideas till this day.

This is also where I met the love of my life, My ‘77 Devon campervan, John. I saved him from another failed MOT (rego) because I could see past his hand painted bottle green exterior and see the van he could become. So, 6 months of welding saving, painting and general hard work and he was back on the road. That was 21 years, 120000 miles, 2 continents and 3 engines ago and he’s still with me to this day.