For those who don't know, the bed race is a charity event that takes place every year in the sunny town of Knaresborough. It's a slightly wacky day and I will try to describe what happens, although it is a little surreal! Teams of six people, dress up a bed on wheels based on a theme that is given to them a few months in advance, the team of six plus friends and children also dress up. My Brother-in-Law was in a team this year and their bed's theme was Indonesia, their team name was St Johns Juggernauts! They decided to have a giant orangutan as the focal point of their bed and you can see from the photo's that it was an amazing design. The finished orangutan was huge and had a movable head and arms that would give Mr Tickle a run for his money!
Here's me doing a bit of speed sewing, to attach the head:
Once all of the emergency five minute jobs were done, the team wheeled the bed to Knaresborough Castle Gardens for the judging of the best dressed bed.
I have seen some amazing creations over the last few years, may favourite this year (apart from the giant orangutan) was the smurf bed.
Once all of the judging has taken place the beds leave the gardens for a parade through Knaresborough town, the bed looked amazing making it's way down the High Street and got a very good reception from the crowds:
Once the parade is over the beds are stripped and the teams get into running gear for a race around the town, yes I told you it was a bit of a wacky day didn't I?!
Knaresborough is a pretty hilly town and the race makes best use of this terrain, I struggled to push the buggy around much of it. Here's Conor's team just making it's way up one of the many hills!
And as if this wasn't enough the race finishes with a swim through the river (with bed and child in helmet), which is hard work on a nice sunny day but after all the rain we've had, this weekend's finale was more of an extreme sport, the river was flowing so rapidly the current tipped the bed, luckily everyone made it to the other side in one piece although I think it was a bit touch and go! I didn't get any photo's of the river part as I had made my way to the pub for a pint (it's hard work being a spectator).
Once the race is over it's time to go home, here's the bed that has been re-dressed making it's way to the pub to join us!
I think
this was the 47th Bed Race and traditions like these are a sacred part
of British culture and further validates the theory that us Brits go a
bit bonkers when the sun comes out (or not). I should also add that all the money raised goes to charity and that St Johns Juggernauts raised over £4000!
It was a thoroughly brilliant day
:)
1 comment:
your bed creation was brilliant you were on the other side setting up from us the flangetastics the china bed well done hope you had a good day like we did.
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