A Cracking Day Out
The Chinese year of the pig provided the inspiration for Entec’s porky entry into the Shrewsbury Dragon Boat Festival 2007, in aid of Severn Hospice. Twenty of Entec’s plucky “Piggy Paddlers” faced the elements to compete in the 39 team event, which drew interest from a range of local businesses and nautical thrill seekers in their own right.
An impressive range of fancy dress was on show, with each team taking a theme ranging from the less than inspired (pirates) to the mostly irrelevant (Dalmatians!??), nonetheless all of whom helped to create a very fun and festive atmosphere on the day. Entec’s bold crew of swine were resplendent in all-pink, complete with pig ears, noses and bright red cheeks.
The event drew considerable crowds on the day, despite the inclement weather, who were treated to a traditional Chinese Lion Dance at the opening ceremony, followed by the “Waking of the Dragon” ritual, which consisted mainly of three groups of assembled boat crew whacking the sides of their vessel repeatedly with their paddles…apparently enough to wake the dragon up, but undoubtedly giving the local pike a headache.
With the ceremonies complete, it was time to kick off the action with the boat races. The Entec team’s first heat was something of a disappointment...after a decent start the team lost its rhythm about halfway down the course, and rapidly disintegrated into a shambles that can only be described as pigswill, ending up last in their race.
Public embarrassment was not on the agenda for our brave pigs though….like a pig-powered aquatic metronome, they powered forth in perfect synchronicity to a second heat time of 1 minute 34 seconds, their best of the day. Sadly, they could not build on this in the final race, but put in a nonetheless respectable time of 1 minute 36 minutes, in the process saving their bacon from a potentially shameful race defeat at the hands of a bunch of girls. Instead, our team members consoled each other with a solid showing at the barbecue (not on it, thankfully).
Many thanks to all supporters and sponsors who helped them break the £1,000 target raised for Severn Hospice. Special thanks to Laura Harrison for her sterling efforts in organising our entry into the event.
A special mention for best outfit goes to Ian Hepplewhite, who according to those present barely needed the assistance of a blonde wig and pink tutu to pose an uncanny resemblance to Miss Piggy of Muppets fame. Ian also shaved off his beard of 15 years in aid of the cause, raising £123 for Severn Hospice, and enduring considerable personal grief in the office during the preceding week.
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