When: 13th October 2013, registration opens at 11am and the championship begins at 11.30am
Where: Days Lock, Little Wittenham, Oxfordshire
£: Individual entry into the championships costs just £2 and team entry £12 (teams must enter via the website prior to the event)
What is it?
Hurrah! The World Pooh Sticks Championships have been rescheduled and will take place on Sunday 13th October at Days Lock, Little Wittenham. The event will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, so why not head along and join in the fun?
The World Pooh Sticks Championships started when the local lock keeper noticed walkers recreating Winnie the Pooh’s pastime on the River Thames and hit on the idea that this would be an excellent way of raising money for his favourite charity, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The event soon took off and has been growing in popularity ever since.
The World Pooh Sticks Championships have become so well-known across the world that it has been known to attract up to 1,500 people and has enjoyed local, national and worldwide television coverage in more recent years. The fame of Pooh Sticks is such that it has even been the subject of a University Challenge question and featured in films and television programmes. Readers of Countryfile Magazine voted the championships as Britain’s Favourite Quirky Event in 2012.
Today the event is organised by the Rotary Club of Oxford Spires. Money raised at this year’s event will go to the RNLI, Little Wittenham Church and various charities supported by the rotary club.
Heats and finals will be held to determine the Individual World Champion and the Team World Champions. Members of Little Wittenham village will provide tea and cake outside the parish church of St Peters and WSD Rotary Club will be firing up the BBQ. There will be plenty of other activities as well as the main event including face painting, a tombola, games and a bouncy castle.
The event is supported by South Oxfordshire District Council’s Go Active initiative and the Community Games, and visitors will be able to take part in Nordic Walking taster sessions as part of this support.
The World Pooh Sticks Championships is a fantastic day out for all the family and an event that all ages can enjoy.
More info: www.pooh-sticks.com