Wacky karts take to the hill (From Bucks Free Press)

Fourth Cookham Dean Gravity Grand Prix takes place

2:00pm Monday 13th September 2010 in News By Rebecca Cain

LIQUORICE Allsorts, a group of thunderbirds and two crews of pirates sailed downhill yesterday as part of the fourth annual Cookham Dean Gravity Grand Prix.

Hundreds turned up to watch fearless drivers hopping in their home made carts and being propelled by the force to gravity from the junction of Church Road and Spring Lane to Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Thirty teams took part who all received sponsorship to raise money for the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance- organisers hoped the event would raise £10,000.

The Craufurd Cut-Throats delighted crowds as they went downhill in their pirate ship, complete with exploding cannons, and took first prize for most novel cart.

The team of five are Roger Franklin, Bob Gregory, Stephen Giles, Tim Waggett and Joe Williams who all have children at Furze Platt school in Maidenhead.

Mr Gregory said: “We are the Furze Platt dads' drinking club from the Craufurd Arms in Maidenhead.

“We enter stuff occasionally and this looked like a good bit of fun. It was pub conversation which got out of hand.”

The Funderbird had a team of three with Ted Exler, Michael Hill and Roger Hill as the driver.

Mr Exler said: “All in all it took about two months to make. I've always been a fan of Thunderbirds which is why we chose the theme.

“It is a fun day to raise money for a worthwhile cause.”

The Cobham Concord came first for the best turned out kart and was built by a team from Cobham plc in Marlow, which made an antenna in the 1990s to go on supersonic passenger plane Concorde.

Driver Tom Bance said it took three months of work to build it and they have so far raised £1,350.

Before the race he said: “I am more worried about the cart falling apart. The front wheels may fall off.”

An air ambulance flew over the occasion at about 1.30pm when the first runs started.

Veloci-Cheese, which was developed while looking at a wedge of Swiss cheese, took second prize for most novel cart and Yellow Submarine came third.

The second prize for best turned out kart went to Discovery and third place went to The Jolly Farmer Bar.

The fastest kart was Blue Arrow with a time of one minute and 10 seconds, second went to Discovery with one minute 15 seconds and third went to Forge Two with one minute 20 seconds.

The top prize, the Spirit of the Event, went to Allsorts whose cart was in the shape of liquorice allsorts. The organisers chose the kart which best reflected the fun and sporting nature of the event.