Cromer’s First Ever Soapbox Derby designs included a high performance bicycle hybrid, an ambulance Soapbox, a metallic model that literally gave off smoke - driven by Tim Wright of Trunch, and a clever Steamtrain-esque Soapbox, representing North Norfolk Railways.
After a trial run of the course by rally cars provided by the Sporting Car Club of Norfolk, and some impromptu Mexican waves, the competition began in earnest. Times varied wildly from 1 minute 30 seconds to just 25 seconds. Despite the best attempts of the British climate, and the close calls of multiple runoffs, the day ended with a clear winner in each of the eight categories.
Overall Winner Peter MacMillan in his Soapbox
Cromer’s first ever Soapbox Derby was held to great attendance on Sunday 12th July. In front of an audiance to rival the Carnival itself, over 30 contestants launched from a ramp and down the slope of Runton Road to compete for several prizes in gravity powered Soapboxes, writes Isaac C-Knight.
The Soapbox course included a chicane made from straw bales and a ramp to test the steering skills of each driver and the handling of their Soapboxes.
The Soapboxes themselves were a spectacle. Some of the most memorable
Among the Winners were: “The Stig” in the Fancy Drress division, Tim Wright in the Village division representing Trunch, and Tim Wright of Trunch embarking the smoking steel Fiona Barrs in Soapbox the 16 to 17 year olds division - driving the bicycle hybrid Soapbox.
Peter MacMillan of the White Horse, after winning the Pub division, entered the final standoff and became the overall winner and recipient of the Malcolm McGreadie shield prize.
Fiona Barrs driving the Bicycle Soapbox
dŚĞ ϯ WĞĂŬƐ ;EŽƌĨŽůŬ͊Ϳ ŚĂůůĞŶŐĞ ^ƉŽŶƐŽƌĞĚ ďLJ dŚĞ dǁŽ >ŝĨĞďŽĂƚƐ ,ŽƚĞů KƌŐĂŶŝƐĞĚ ďLJ WŚŽĞŶŝdž džƉůŽƌĞƌ ^ĐŽƵƚƐ dŚĞ ĞǀĞŶƚ ǁŝůů ƚĂŬĞ ƉůĂĐĞ ŽŶ ^ĂƚƵƌĚĂLJ ƵŐƵƐƚ ϭϱƚŚ ϱ ŵŝůĞ ƌŽƵƚĞ ŶĞĂƌ ^ŚĞƌŝŶŐŚĂŵ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ƚŚƌĞĞ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ŚŝŐŚĞƐƚ ƉĞĂŬƐ͕
ĞĞƐƚŽŶ ƵŵƉ͕ /ŶĐůĞďŽƌŽƵŐŚ ,ŝůů ĂŶĚ ^ƚŽŶĞ ,ŝůů͘ ŵďůĞ͕ ƐƚƌŝĚĞ͕ ũŽŐ Žƌ ƌƵŶ LJŽƵƌ ǁĂLJ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ŽƵƌ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͖ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ĨƵŶ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ǁŚŽůĞ ĨĂŵŝůLJ͊ tŚLJ ŶŽƚ ďƌŝŶŐ Ă ƉŝĐŶŝĐ ƚŽŽ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŬĞ Ă ĚĂLJ ŽĨ ŝƚ͍ άϭ ƉĞƌ ĂĚƵůƚ͕ ĂĐĐŽŵƉĂŶLJŝŶŐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ϭϮƐ ĨƌĞĞ͘ EŽ ĞŶƚƌLJ ĨĞĞ ƉĂLJĂďůĞ ŝĨ ŵŽƌĞ ƚŚĂŶ άϱ ƐƉŽŶƐŽƌƐŚŝƉ ŝƐ ƌĂŝƐĞĚ͘ 'Ğƚ LJŽƵƌƐĞůĨ͕ LJŽƵƌ ŵĂƐĐŽƚ Žƌ LJŽƵƌ ĚŽŐ ƐƉŽŶƐŽƌĞĚ ƚŽ ƌĂŝƐĞ ĨƵŶĚƐ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵƌ ĨĂǀŽƵƌŝƚĞ ůŽĐĂů ĐŚĂƌŝƚLJ Žƌ ůŽĐĂů ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƟŽŶ͘ ZĞŐŝƐƚĞƌ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ĚĂLJ ĨƌŽŵ ŽƵƌ ƐƚĂƌƚ ƉŽŝŶƚ ŽŶ ĞĞƐƚŽŶ ŽŵŵŽŶ͖ ǁĞ͛ůů ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ Ă ŵĂƉ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƌŽƵƚĞ ĂŶĚ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ĨŽƌ ĐŽŵƉĞƟƚŽƌƐͬĞŶƚƌĂŶƚƐ͘ tĞ ƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚ LJŽƵ ǁĞĂƌ ƐƵŝƚĂďůĞ ĨŽŽƚǁĞĂƌ ĨŽƌ ǁĂůŬŝŶŐ ŽŶ ƌŽĂĚƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŽŽƚƉĂƚŚƐ ĂŶĚ ďƌŝŶŐ ĚƌŝŶŬŝŶŐ ǁĂƚĞƌ͘ /Ĩ ƚŚĞ ǁĞĂƚŚĞƌ ŝƐ ŚŽƚ ǁĞ ƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚ ǁĞĂƌŝŶŐ ƐƵŶͲ ƐĐƌĞĞŶ ĂŶĚ ƐƵŶ ŚĂƚ͘ WůĞĂƐĞ ďĞ ĂǁĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƌŽƵƚĞ ĨŽůůŽǁƐ ƉƵďůŝĐ ĨŽŽƚƉĂƚŚƐ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĂƌĞ ƵŶƐƵŝƚĂďůĞ ĨŽƌ ƉƵƐŚĐŚĂŝƌƐ ĂŶĚ ǁŚĞĞůĐŚĂŝƌƐ͘ WůĞĂƐĞ ĚĞ-ƌĞŐŝƐƚĞƌ ǁŚĞŶ LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ƐŽ ƚŚĂƚ ǁĞ ŬŶŽǁ LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ƌĞƚƵƌŶĞĚ ƐĂĨĞ ĂŶĚ ƐŽƵŶĚ͊ ^ƉŽŶƐŽƌĞĚ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ŵƵƐƚ ďƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐƉŽŶƐŽƌƐŚŝƉ ĨŽƌŵƐ ƐŽ ǁĞ ĐĂŶ ƌĞĐŽƌĚ ƚŚĞ ƚŽƚĂůƐ ƌĂŝƐĞĚ͘ dŚĞƌĞ ǁŝůů ďĞ ŵĂƌƐŚĂůƐ ŽŶ ĞĂĐŚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƚŚƌĞĞ ƉĞĂŬƐ ǁŚŽ ǁŝůů ŝƐƐƵĞ Ă ƐƟĐŬĞƌ ŽŶ LJŽƵƌ ĐŽŵƉĞƟƚŽƌ ŶƵŵďĞƌ͘ dŽ ďĞ ĞůŝŐŝďůĞ ƚŽ ǁŝŶ Ă ƉƌŝnjĞ LJŽƵ ǁŝůů ŶĞĞĚ ƚŽ ĐŽůůĞĐƚ Ăůů ƚŚƌĞĞ ƐƟĐŬĞƌƐ͘
Cromer’s first ever Soapbox Derby was a success, and perhaps marks what may become a familiar overture to Carnival Week in years to come.
The race has been planned for some time by the Carnival committee. After a suitable road with a slope was found, the council granted road closure. This allowed the event to go ahead.
In the words of Committee Chairman Tony Shipp, who also provided the announcements at the event, “We are always looking for something a bit different to mark the next Carnival event, and the Soapbox Derby provided that, as well as an extension to the Carnival season”.
The Carnival Committee also chose to hold the day outside on a different day to Carnival week, to create a different association with the event and, in years to come more stalls and events are planned to help the Soapbox Derby become an event in its own right.
Chief organiser of the event Bruce Stratton and the Carnival Committee would like give special thanks to the Cromer “Snowy” the Steamtrain Soapbox, businesses, who bought representing North Norfolk Railways banners at the event, for their support, and also to the Sporting Car Club of Norfolk, who also provided the rally cars that debuted the track prior to the Soapboxes, and timed the races to a professional standard.
ŝŐ ĂƐŚ WƌŝnjĞƐ ƐƉŽŶƐŽƌĞĚ ďLJ dŚĞ dǁŽ >ŝĨĞ ŽĂƚƐ ,ŽƚĞů͕ ^ŚĞƌŝŶŐŚĂŵ ĨŽƌ͗ &ĂƐƚĞƐƚ ƌŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ĞƐƚ &ĂŶĐLJ ƌĞƐƐ DŽƐƚ ^ƉŽŶƐŽƌƐŚŝƉ ŵŽŶĞLJ ƌĂŝƐĞĚ͘ tŝŶŶĞƌƐ ǁŝůů ďĞ ĂŶŶŽƵŶĐĞĚ ŝŶ dŚĞ dǁŽ >ŝĨĞďŽĂƚƐ ,ŽƚĞů Ăƚ ϳƉŵ ŽŶ ƵŐƵƐƚ ϭϱƚŚ
ĞƌƟĮĐĂƚĞ ŽĨ WĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƟŽŶ ĨŽƌ Ăůů ŶƚƌĂŶƚƐ͘ WůĞĂƐĞ ƉŚŽŶĞ ϬϭϮϲϯ ϴϮϯϱϰϲ Žƌ ĞŵĂŝů ƌĞďĞĐĐĂƉŽƉŚĂŵΛĂŽů͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ ĨŽƌ ĂŶ ŽĸĐŝĂů ƐƉŽŶƐŽƌƐŚŝƉ ĨŽƌŵ
28
Garden Maintenance & Landscaping Grass & Hedge Cutting ~ Clearance & Tidying Fence Installations, Repairs & Painting Local man offering a friendly & reliable service Patio & Pathway Installations Competitive rates, free estimates given Property Maintenance & General DIY Fully Insured kerrybilly@vodafoneemail.co.uk
Sheringham Independent 420 July 25th 2015