A Northumberland tradition which has its roots in the 14th century is set to return again on New Year's Day.
The annual Ponteland Wheelbarrow race draws huge crowds in the village on January 1, attracting dozens of duos with one of the pair pushing their teammate around a circular course in a wheelbarrow. The course starts and ends at the Blackbird Pub on North Road and is organised by the Ponteland 41 Club, assisted by Ponteland Rugby Club, with money raised being shared between St Oswald's Hospice and Tynedale Hospice at Home.
Legend has it that the roots of the race go back to the 14th century when Ponteland residents were suffering a harsh winter, leaving food and fuel in short supply. The local leader at the time, St John De Hornby, is said to have gathered the villagers and took them hunting, using wheelbarrows to bring their catches back home.
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Since then, the wheelbarrow race has become an annual tradition, sponsored by the Ponteland Wheelers, the name given to anyone who helps the event in any way. Steve Roberts, one of the organisers and member of the Ponteland 41 club, is hoping that this year's event will be the best one ever.
He said: "We are looking forward to organising another fantastic event which we hope people will come and support from Ponteland and beyond. It’s a well loved day out that people have on their calendars from one year to the next and we know it’s going to be another brilliant race."
Danielle Harvey, Events and Corporate Fundraising Manager at St. Oswald's Hospice, said: "It's a lovely way to kickstart the year so it means a lot to us. It's really valuable for the Hospice to have that regular connection with the local community in Ponteland, which is an area that the we provide care and support to."
Danielle took part in the race last year with former St. Oswald's chef David Taylor, who has done the wheelbarrow race several times alternating between carrying a fridge or a kitchen sink on his back. Local businesses also sponsor wheelbarrows in the hospice's name, while there are bucket collections on the day too.
Danielle finished: "We usually get a lot of volunteers coming along whether they're supporting from the side lines or taking part in the race. We can't wait for the 2023 event!"
Tynedale Hospice at Home is the other charity which has been chosen ahead of its 30th anniversary next year. Unlike St Oswald's, which is based in Gosforth, it provides end-of-life care and support to patients in their own homes, covering a huge area of West Northumberland.
Matthew Crowe, of Tynedale Hospice at Home, said: "It's been a rough couple of years with the pandemic and because of that there's been a knock-on effect with support. We feel very lucky to be the chosen charity again, obviously it's been spanning multiple years, but we're very appreciative to have been chosen alongside St. Oswald's.
"We're looking at between six and ten volunteers there on the day supporting the event. It tends to be a popular event anyway and it's more of a tradition than trying to attract new people, but we're promoting it in our Ponteland shop and trying to keep it going and get the buzz going ahead of it."
Stuart Young, owner of the Blackbird, where the race starts and ends, says he is delighted to be supporting the event, saying: "The Blackbird is a really important part of the local community so getting behind the wheelbarrow race is something we like to do every year. It always has a great turn out and we love being able to welcome everyone into the pub."
For more information about the annual Ponteland wheelbarrow race, contact Steve Roberts at sjroberts69@gmail.com.
Have you ever taken part in the Ponteland Wheelbarrow Race? Let us know!
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