Many people think that tubbing is a modern idea, but in fact, it is far from it. Years ago, when dinosaurs still roamed... Well OK, perhaps not THAT long ago but when our parents were kids anyway, there were annual sporting events in the canal which included a race across the water in tin tubs using coal shovels as paddles; and flood waters were put to good use!





The modern race began over 30 years ago when a member of Shoreham and Southwick Round Table, Clive Thorpe, had a bright idea to liven up proceedings for the year. The first race had eight teams, with all the men dressed as women, complete with stockings and suspenders; and a lot of fun was had by all contestants, culminating in a party. In those days it was a totally fun event with no missiles and, stranger still, no beer tent! It ended at Coronation Green where there were a few side stalls.

In all the years that the Round Table have given so much time to the event, it is worth noting that they have never won, and have sunk more than once! Nowadays the local Round Table do not have the opportunity to enter themselves, as the complexity of the organisation has grown with the size of the event and the organisation now takes all year.

On the morning of the race, there was a parade of the tubs through the streets of Shoreham, with teams in fancy dress. In 1987 there were reports of hooliganism during the parade, followed by a drunken few doing their level best to wreck the entire day for everyone. This resulted in a very heavy Police presence the following year (complete with dogs and a helicopter!) and the parade was cancelled, never to be re-instated. However there was no rowdiness that year and the race reverted to the family fun day it had always been.

Before the race there was a beauty contest and the winner, Miss Adur Bath Tub started the race and gave out the trophies at the end.

Each team that finishes gets a Finishers Plaque, much coveted, and there are many cups to be won, including a wooden spoon for the last team home and special cups for the first and last ladies teams home. After the race there was a dance when the cups were presented but nowadays no-one has the energy after the race to go dancing and the cups are presented on the Adur Recreation Ground at the end of the race.

When the beauty contest finished, not because it was deemed politically incorrect but because entrants were getting hard to recruit (!) we turned to celebrities to start the race and have been fortunate enough to have Sally Gunnell, Scott Welch, Lee Griffiths, Derek Jameson and David Armstrong fire the cannon for us.

At the start of the race, all the tubs have already been lowered into the water by crane at Beeding Bridge. Traditionally there was a "Le Mans" type start, with one tubber already sitting in the tub and the other further up the bank waiting for the signal. At the sound of the siren, the "runners" would race to the tubs. Every team would then race to the Bridge where they would be pelted with flour bombs from the spectators, and converging together, there are often sinkings! Nowadays the teams are sitting ready in the tub and start paddling when a confetti cannon is fired across the river. The flour bombs are still there though and have become part of the traditions. There are still a few who throw eggs and rotten tomatoes but this anti-social practice is frowned on by both the police and the contestants!

It is not an easy race. The tubs have to be made of cast iron and are very heavy to row, but it is great fun, and those who make it to the end are justifiably proud of themselves. Most teams though are not in it to win it as they already know that teams manned by local fishermen have a better chance. So WHY do they put themselves through it year after year? To prove that they can do it, to beat their personal best and most of all to raise money.

The race has become one of the biggest charity fund-raising events in the area and to date has raised in excess of £205,000, all going to local charities. Needs are as diverse as the crews and contributions have been made over the years to provide such things as hospital equipment, a pony for disabled riders, holidays for the handicapped, playgroup equipment, outings for senior citizens, and even a toaster for the local maternity wardso that new mums could have toast in the middle of the night! We have supported animal charities, youth groups and hospice facilities and paid for a war widow to visit the grave of her husband for the first time. Quite a mixture!

We are supported every year by a number of organisations who help to put tubs in, pull them out, collect money, give first aid and provide radio coverage. The Paxton family allow us to use their land to launch the race and Ted Tucknott generously provides electricity to Southlands Hospital Radio, the cubs clean up the rubbish left behind and there are many other groups without whom we could not function!

In September 1977 one of the teams, known as The Moppits, who rowed for the Hebe pub, rowed all the way to France to raise money for the RNLI. One of the team, Brian Winstanley, was reported as saying he would not like to repeat the experience! The team of 8 took nearly 11 hours to complete the crossing and as far as we know, they are still the only team to do this!

Then there was the year that the publicity banners disappeared. Publicity is always a nightmare for an annual event as it is not considered news by the local press so roadside publicity is essential or no-one would come! One year the banners were disappearing and they are expensive! It turned out to be the Council who had suddenly decided they were a hazard to drivers and took them away without telling anyone even though there were phone numbers on the banners. Still, we got them back, AND got loads of press coverage.

In 1991 there was a Reliant Robin entered by Facelift. This was mounted on a tub and was complete with a working radio! It was a bit unstable and was left moored up partway down the river. When the crew went back next day to collect it, it was gone and we had visions of someone in mid-channel looking out of a porthole and seeing a Reliant bobbing by! You would definitely think you'd had one too many!

This was the comment printed in the Tabler magazine:
"Mais Oui, O Lord adopt thy creed,
Adapt our car to serve thy need,
And we who down thy river speed,
Can't stop! Good job we're in the lead!"

(A mis-quote from the Round Table Grace!)

Another of the legends of Bath Tubbing was Jim's lucky garter! Jim Partridge bought the garter in an auction after it had fallen off the leg of one of the entertainers for £50 and every year after that he wore it on his head and won nearly every year too, no matter where he started out in the grid! He did have a little help from Peter Huxtable, his team-mate!

Jim Partridge and his lucky garter pictured here with Nikki Kelsall, the young lady who raised £50 for Bath Tub funds by auctioning it!.

In 2001 there was no race as this was the year of the dreadful outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Although the County Council said we could go ahead, shortly before the race there was a suspected outbreak of the disease in the north of the county and as local farmers were justifiably concerned, the committee felt it right to cancel the race. It was substituted by a Jail Break but this did not prove popular.

In 2002 the race was back! Revolution! For the first time non-cast iron tubs were allowed, and, although they could not qualify for the main cups, there was a cup of their own! The weather during the morning was beautiful but just before the start of the race there was a thunder storm. As the race progressed down river we realised how lucky we had been, the storm just a few miles away had been far worse. The roads and fields were flooded to depths of up to six inches and The Red Lion was bailing out their cellar with a human chain and buckets. Someone approached a marshall and asked if the "Huckleberry Brothers" had won again, referring of course to Peter and Richard Huxtable who had indeed come first again!

It had rained all the way down the river and one tubber claimed he hadn't expected to have such fun! A marshall commented that it was better in fine weather and he said it was fantastic to be rowing downriver with dark skies and thunder and lightning all round! Very spectacular and he's coming back next year!

Derek Jameson, Scott Welch, Lee Griffiths and Sally Gunnell have all helped us.