THE annual Pram Race through South Zeal, South Tawton and Sticklepath fared extremely well both with the weather and continued high entries from near and far.
Teams came under costume judges? scrutiny and starters orders at the Reddaway Transport Yard in South Zeal this year where St Austell Brewery kindly supplied drinks at the start of the race from which every penny goes to charity.
Costume winners decided, the teams scampered off around the lanes in a flurry of colour, pushing, pulling or otherwise propelling passengers in their assorted chariots, passion prams and wobbly wheelies first to the Oxenham Arms, and then on to the Kings Arms, South Zeal.
Hoping to become flushed with success, The Seven Stars, South Tawton, entry tackled a deep-seated local problem ? ?Save South Zeal Toilets?? while South Zeal Football Club donned the look of the 60s entertainers the ?Black and White Minstrels?. And there was a ?grave? entry from the Plymouth Inn, Okehampton: ?RIP Wembley Tower.?
With some foresight The Globe, Chagford wheeled out ?Super-Heroes,? Batman etc, to conveniently combat the Okehampton YFC?s ?Bin Laden?s Barmy Army? but the Manor House Hotel, Okehampton, entry, ?Casualty,? was ready for anything, and anyone.
Taking advantage of the sunshine, mid-race and approaching the Seven Stars ?the third compulsory refreshment rest ? was the Okecroft Nursing Home entry, ?An English Country Garden,? featuring the Vicar of Dribbley, while more friends, Dawn Jeffrey and Gang, spread a little happiness along the lanes as ?Utterly Butterly.?
The ?Jamaican Bobsleigh Team? entered by North Tawton Rugby Club found getting uphill a little difficult but noted that the ?Pink Ladies? from the Bullers Arms, Chagford, had a good carriage.
Looking ahead to a cool Yule the entries from the Heinz Factory, Okehampton, ?Jangle Balls? and a group of Okehampton people with ?Christmas Come Early,? valiantly tried to see off the opposition with seasonal diversions.
Across-country the prams were pushed towards the Taw River Inn and then the winning line at the Devonshire Arms, Sticklepath, and among those pushing were a group of friends appearing as the ?S Team? taking team costume prize, and ?Rumplestilstkin?, alias Steve McKeogh of the Country Garden team, who took the individual costume prize.
It was however, ?Boy Racers?, an entry that included a group of friends from Okehampton, Hatherleigh and around the district that won the 2002 Pram Race and added their names to the history of one the area?s most popular events.