By Romy Stephens
The Upwey Men’s Shed is gearing up to be a dark horse in this year’s Upwey Billy Cart Race.
The annual event will take place on 23 February on Main Street, Upwey.
This year, the Men’s Shed will compete with its brand new stainless steel slimline cart.
Colin Holmes was the driving force behind the creation of the billy cart. He said that he had been thinking of designs over the past few years.
“I had an idea of how I wanted to make it, I had to draw up the steering geometry,” he said.
“Then from there, all the bits were fabricated as I went. There were no drawings there was nothing people could make.
“It was something I had to make…Piece by piece and then it had to be put together piece by piece.”
The Upwey Billy Cart Race is an annual event that is heading into its 14th year.
It has become an important event for the town and local economy, with numerous traders enjoying the business of the typical 1000 people that attend.
Everyone that participates in the event will receive a medallion.
Co-organiser Peter Van Santen said the day is all about putting a “smile on faces.”
“There’s nothing nicer than seeing a kid come to collect his or her medallion or prize,” he said.
“The grin on their faces are just so fantastic, they are so pleased that they won or participated, it is really nice to see that and it makes it all worthwhile.”
For more information about the Upwey Billy Cart Race, visit upweybillycartrace.com.
