Extraordinary Event

Race Day

Patrick Rothon provided the venue for the technical scrutineering of the soapboxes on Tuesday April 29, Les Sheppard was again Chief Marshall, running the team of race marshals on the day, all from the Youth Town Council, and periodically walking the course to ensure that children did not sit on the fencing or had limbs on the wrong side of the barriers.  Some parents again seemed to be oblivious of the danger of soapboxes hurtling down the course, should a soapbox crash into the barriers or fences.

Peter Greene was again Chief Photographer and had arranged for the photographers from the last three years, Pete Mitchelmore and Mark Viner, to support the event.

“Dikster” and his team from the 8th. Billericay Scouts were on the early shift making sure the track was ready, erecting fencing, placing hay bales, erecting signage and Toilet scrims.

Finally, Robert Gregory, Peter Strong, and Ben Clarke, all volunteered to help for a session.

What a Success

Peter Greene summed it up:  “Congratulations to Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower for yet another year’s very successful Billericay Soapbox Derby.  We are delighted that its members are making such a huge success yet again in 2025.   A really enjoyable day and a great event enjoyed by thousands of spectators.    Once again we were treated to Imaginative Soapboxes, Colourful Costumes, Imaginative “Performances”, Competitive Races, and Enthusiastic Teams! And … no crashes this year!  (Although a few soapboxes had to undergo major repairs during the lunch time break, and the “Fast and the Furriest” lost its nose during both runs!)

“A tremendous effort by all involved. Congratulations on a day which was universally appreciated and raised a huge amount for Charity.  We are delighted to help.” 

Spectator Bonanza

After a week of sunshine the week before and the hottest May 1 on record, we were hoping for good weather on the day of the Derby, but it was not to be.  Yes, it didn’t rain (Hurrah!) and there were sunny intervals, but it was COLD!  The photographers had to resort to wandering onto the middle of the trach into the sun to warm up.  Peter’s hands got so cold he couldn’t feel the shutter button on the camers!

First job of the photographers - wander round the “pits” with the crowds to see the soapboxes, talk to the teams and capture the whole spectacle for posterity. 

They were many rows deep at the trackside, and looking around the field at the lunch break, there seemed to be a very large number of people, and many families.   The food stalls were back as usual, but there weren’t the huge queues at lunch time as in previous years. 

Health and safety considerations meant that once a race was completed, the soapboxes couldn’t be towed back through the crowds as in previous years, and instead were towed back up the track.  Although this slowed the process down and the morning didn’t finish until 1.30pm, Mayflower made a virtue out of a necessity and “sold” this as an opportunity for the crowds to see the soapbox again and clap the team for their performance.

After the morning soapbox races, lunch time entertainment was provided by a band “One Track Mind” on the stage. 

Then, at 2.30 pm, back to the track for the second race.  Unbelievably every one of the soapboxes had been repaired and ran again, even one where the team had returned home, made a new support part and brought it back during the lunch break!  What dedication.

Keen Competitors

There were a couple of rivalries which made the day special – yet again soapboxes from Brightside School (Bulpett Rides Again) and from Quilters School (Knights of Quilters Round Table) took part, vying to be the fastest.  The accolade has switched between the two schools every year of the Derby, and we all watched their two runs eagerly to discover the fastest – this year it was Quilters with a joint team with Billericay Round Table who triumphed, even being the race leaders at one point in the morning.

The other keen rivalry was between two soapboxes from Tecniq, with teams of apprentice engineers, Tecniq Flyers and Classic Racing.  They overtook the Quilters soapbox and the number one position switched between the two until Tecniq Flyers won – by 0.64 of a second.

Once the races were over, everybody retired to the field for the prize-giving to all the winners! 

Thank you

Rotary Club of Bil!ericay Mayflower event organiser Colin Campbell (for the fourth successive year) opened the prize-giving by thanking all the participants who had worked so hard to build soapboxes and compete, and to all the spectators who came and made it such an enjoyable day.  Attendance was high and many charities will benefit.  Another Billericay Mayflower Rotarian added later in the day “A great example of Rotary in Billericay working together!!  

A thank you to judges Rotary PDG Jed Brooks, PDG Keith Brownlie and Rotarian Dave Eagles 

Yvonne Kyndt, one of the organisers, was quoted online on Yahoo News:  “The day went superbly well, we think we had our best attendance ever. The weather wasn’t the best, but I was impressed to see so many people out with picnic blankets making the most of the event.”

“At the heart of it they are community events. We had stalls set up and a rock band who went down really well called One Track Mind, but the highlight obviously was the racing.

“It’s the thrills and spills, we had a car with a wheel come off and that got the crowd roaring, it was a fabulous day with all the cars having an entourage that chases them as they make their run.”

Tecniq, winners of the fastest soapbox trophies, commented: “Congratulations to our team of apprentices, who designed and built the soapbox karts, bringing home the 1st and 2nd place trophies at this weekend’s Billericay Soapbox Derby!

As well as the two fastest track times of the day, we also picked up the award for “Best Constructed Soapbox”, for the second year running.”

A Fantastic Event

Spectator comments included: 

• It was great to see so many people, so many teams, returning and new, families and friends enjoying the atmosphere of a great event. With classic cars, great food, live music and the track itself,
• Big thanks to the Billericay Mayflower Rotary Club for putting on such a fantastic event.
• Great day yesterday at the Soapbox Derby.
• I had so much fun at the Soapbox Derby today, my first one, and had a great time....took way too many pics…..