VIDEO: The Waiters and Waitresses Race was a course of approximately 100 yards, beginning and ending on the bridge across the entrance to the Boatfloat with the ‘turnaround’ outside the Crab and Bucket pub. The race required participants to run the 100 yards to the turnaround where they were to fill one pint glass as full as they could from one, pint can of beer and run back, carrying a pint, on a tray, on the palm of one hand. The winner was the one who brought back the most beer in the glass. The junior race was the same but with cola.

County Councillor Jonathan Hawkins was commenting and Ben-the-barman, was the steward responsible, amongst other things, for ensuring each can of beer in the senior race was thoroughly shaken. Ben could seen shaking the can vigorously before the start was given.

Most of the waiters and waitresses ran hard the 100 yards to the beer cans. The more experienced did not, probably knowing that the cans had been shaken and it was not first past the line that mattered but most beer in the glass. Indeed, the winner Mariesha, from the Castle Hotel but originally from Plymouth, walked back to the finish and complained for the last twenty yards to all within ear-shot: “They cheated, they cheated. They used more than one can; they used two cans.” In the event, it mattered not, as Mariesha was declared the winner. The person finishing last was Officer Cadet Finch, who carried his tray and pint on his head in the heat and tried a heavier, loaded tray in the final, was given a trophy for style.