A splashing time ahead

Sidmouth Lions' Club's annual 'Duck Derby' will take place on Sunday, 16 July.

The event will start at 2.15 pm with children's Duck & Spoon Races taking place on the flat lawn area near to the Byes Cycle Bridge.

These free races are primarily for young children, in various age ranges up to eleven years old and involve running over a short course, without the little yellow duck falling off their spoon. Subsequently, parents/grandparents are usually invited to have a go, much to the amusement of their offspring!  Taste of Devon ice creams will also be on sale during the afternoon!

The main Duck Race will start at 3.00 pm with the spectacle of several thousand little yellow ducks 'owned' by members of the public, being launched from the  Byes Cycle Bridge then jostling their way down the River Sid.  The actual course for this year's race has been slightly shortened, so the finishing line will now be between Lawn Vista Bridge  and the big weir.

The 'owners' of the first 19 yellow ducks to reach the finish will each receive a cash prize from prizemoney totalling over £1,000. The first prize is £400, second prize is £100, third prize is £75, followed by six £40 and ten £20 prizes.   However, the biggest winners from this year's Duck Race will be the two nominated charities, i.e. the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and the Sidmouth Lions Club Charity services.

Tickets at £1 each for the yellow Duck Race are on sale from 10am – 5pm until this Friday from the Lions stand outside the Sidmouth Co-op store or from 10 am – early pm this Saturday outside Lidl store in Woolbrook and outside Coastline Mobility in the High Street.

Duck tickets can also be bought until Saturday pm at:  Paper Moon, 38 Fore Street (opposite 'Boots'), 83 for Cards in High Street (by Lloyds pharmacy) and Woolbrook News in Woolbrook.

So it's still not too late to get some duck tickets and also enjoy the Lions Club's annual charity fundraising event in Sidmouth's delightful Byes parkland.

For more about Sidmouth Lions Club, visit www.sidmouthlions.org.uk