My village sits on top of a hill. Obviously, there’s a gravity cart race! Last year I entered my Dragon Kart. I enjoyed making it so much, I wanted another go. This year the  theme was “superheroes”. Being not particularly taken with any of the female Marvel characters, I went for a real life hero – Boudicca! As with all great ideas, it started with a back of the envelope sketch.

Although bicycle wheels may have been OK, they are designed to have a fork either side to support them – not what I wanted on my chariot. So I, (ahem), “acquired” some wheelchair wheels. I had some bits left over from last year’s child’s bike sabotage. I headed over to a local rocket scientist’s HQ (James Macfarlane at Airborne Engineering Ltd.,) and gave him one of my more detailed engineering drawings and some bits. He then did some stuff with the toys … (of course, I *could* have done all this, but they’re his toys – and actually, he made many modifications / suggestions that I wouldn’t have thought of – he rocks.

A few hours later, the whole of the chassis was done, which I then spray painted black (I use a lot of Halfords spray paint, and the dog was always black.)

 

Paint your chariot

 

Wheels

Then I needed a crown

The finished chariot


A little nervous and I was raring to go! It was heads down for the race, and with Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries blaring out behind me (speaker on the left), I tore through the course. However, I was not quick enough to win. More horse power required. I did, however, win the best design!

Many thanks to James Macfarlane, Matthew Whittaker, Kath Bright and Gavin Wade-Williams for support, encouragement and helping me acquire stuff. And to Rupert, Duncan, Jamie and the Pointer Inn, Brill, for putting on the show.

Video footage of the competition by Mark Sutcliffe can be seen here: