[Editor’s note: A further report on Rye’s long history of “Silly Races” around the town’s public houses – so less of a pub crawl, and more of a pub dash]
In 1982 Rye Racers’ Maritime Silly Race was “Walking the plank” (see poster above) with three in a team with each member having one foot tied to a plank, the race started from the Ypres garden 12 noon on a Sunday.
The teams’ fancy dress included “Red head boys” from The Crown, Vikings with a cardboard boat, a press gang from the Ferry Boat Inn, and three mermaids from the Union Inn – who won the fancy dress cup. Eighteen teams started the race the with the winner being South Under Cliff Piss Artist. First of all the ladies teams to finish was from the Pipemakers Arms.
In 1983 a silly “Hop along sackety race” started from the Ypres garden at Sunday noon and a large hop sack supplied by John Jempsons transport had three silly people in it. Entering the race as well were three scantily dressed lads in ladies underwear, and also a team of two men and one lady in grass skirts who won the fancy dress cup.
Each team had to blow up a balloon in each pub visited and bring it the finish so the sack filled up with balloons as well as the three people which meant several of the balloons burst. The seventeen teams found it difficult to race in the sacks so, as they would not be able to complete the race before the pubs closed at 3pm, they put the sack over their heads.
Image Credits: Chad Coleman , Dennis Leeds-George .