PARWICH.ORG

Thank you to our roving reporter for the evening Nia:

It all started well, with Dennis, missing his usual side kick – Brian- getting the races off to a flying start at bang on 6.30pm. Children were clutching their brown envelopes of money and sucking on revolting looking purple chews with more additives in them than a bag of candy floss from the fair, by the time the roving reporter made it down to the sports ground…..

The birth explosion in Parwich around the millennium meant the tape holders had to work doubly hard as heats had to be run before the finalists could be decided. The ‘smarter’ children quickly realised they needed to ensure they got in the right heat in order to guarantee a place in the final. For the boys that meant avoiding Jack G. and Jacob B. and the girls had to avoid Bethany F. These 3 youngsters were obviously under strict instructions to bring home to the dosh as they were flying down the home straight into 1st place in every race they entered.(unless it was against each other of course….)

The U5s are getting younger and braver. There was a time when parents had to bribe them to race, now they are warming up in spikes at the side desperate to show the crowd what they can do. Bike tyres and stabilizers made furrows in the lanes that any farmer would be proud of as the next generation tore up the 35m track with cheers from the spectators resonating in their ears.

Skipping and jumping in sacks are the things that although we are good at them, should really be kept ‘in village’. Rural communities need to make their own entertainment despite improved transport networks but there will be very few places where the kids can jump with 2 feet together in a sack and be more worried about coming in the prize money than their shorts falling down as they jump!

The big boys and girls races were very closely contested although Miss Dale was seen to take a victory wave half way down the track…..

And then it all went horribly wrong. The thunder and lightening raced towards lower Parwich and Dennis was forced to make the wise decision to abandon the rest of the evening. Grateful parents were able to get their children into bed at a reasonable hour but there is still the emotional roller-coaster of the Hill Race to get them through tomorrow and there is no money or sweets for taking part in that one!!!!!