On the last Sunday of 2007 the annual Herm Christmas Challenge took place. The tradition is that last years winners set the challenge for the following year so it was the idea of the Bailey family to go back to where the challenge started in 2001 with a Go-Kart race.
The idea of a challenge first came about when Barnaby and Oliver Stacey who then lived in Bracken Cottage (their father Tony, was the manager of The Mermaid Tavern) made themselves a Go-Kart. They challenged the island gardeners, Peter and Dave to a race. The event was such fun for everyone to watch that island residents decided to do a Go-Kart race for everyone. Barnaby and Oliver made a trophy which is presented to the winners each year and spends the rest of the year hanging on the wall of the pub.
The brave drivers started the race one at a time at the top of the hill in Fisherman's Field and were timed to get past the line at the bottom of the hill. The trophy was awarded to the riders who had the fastest time but prizes were also given to the best Go-Kart design and the one that travelled the furthest! The judges were regular Herm holiday-makers, the Bailey family, David, Lesley and their son Paul, who come to stay on Herm twice a year from their home in Wiltshire. They spend every New Year in Fisherman's Cottage and enjoy being involved in the Herm challenge
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| Lined up ready to be judged. |
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| Rupert Dorey won the prize for the best designed Go-Kart. The base was a boat trailer. |
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| The fastest Go-Kart - Terry and Chris helped on their way by some orange smoke! |
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| Brett the gardener made his out of an old wheelbarrow - he veered off the course before he got to the finish line. He said it was because the front was too light - maybe it was because of the weight on the back?! |
New Dad, Chris made his out of old pram wheels. Ten days after the event he was still showing off a fantastic bruise he got when he took a tumble from his Kart! |
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| The Heyworth family took it in turns to ride down on their Kart which was based on a boat trailer. |
Adrian chomping at the bit waiting for son-in-law Chris, prospective son-in-law Terry and nephew Hamish to give him a push. |
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| 13 year-old Charlie Dorey made his Go-Kart during the summer holidays! It just needed a bit of fine tuning before he was ready for the start line! |
13 year-old Richard Bailey had help from his Dad and Grandad in the building of his Kart. The two older Baileys opted out of riding it down the hill! |
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The truckies made this huge Go-Kart
using tractor wheels and the handle
of a lawn-mower for steering it! |
Jo volunteered for the very serious job of waving the starting flag! |
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| Simon drove down the hill on the 'Herm Land Horse' - built by Mat the skipper. Simon just got over the finish line before the Kart broke in half and he tumbled down the rest of the hill. No bones broken - just his ego! |
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Last years winners, Andrew and Richard Bailey hand over the trophy to Chris and Terry who got down the course the fastest as a pairs team. Behind Andrew is Hamish Wood, son of Ben Wood, Pennie's brother who lives in New Zealand. Hamish is currently working in London and came to Herm for a family Christmas with his aunts - Pennie, Jo and Rosie.
Rupert was pleased to be given a bottle of wine for the best designed Go-Kart. |
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The Karts that didn't make more than one run down the hill! |