The 2011 championships were held on Sunday 27th March.
Thank you to everyone who made the 2011 World Pooh Sticks Championships such a success – to those who came along to play and to watch, and to all the volunteers who worked so hard on the day and in the weeks leading up to the event. We raised over £3,600 for St Peter’s Church in Little Wittenham, the RNLI, the Oxfordshire Scouts Jamboree Unit, Shelterbox, Aquabox and other charities supported by Oxford Spires and Sinodun Rotary Clubs, and by Oxford and High Wycombe Rotaract Clubs
We were so lucky to have such great weather and many people sat on the grass bank outside the church enjoying teas and cakes before heading down the hill to the pooh sticks bridges. The team games started first and we had 36 teams dropping sticks off the Dorchester Bridge, including a team of four dressed as Tigger entertaining many of us with their antics. The team event was won by Team Kelly, full rankings can be found here.
The individual competition was won by Saffron Sollitt, aged 9, from Wallingford. Second place was Emma Broad of Faringdon and third place was Karen Furlong of Didcot. Tigger and Pooh Bear joined them for the photos, still both full of energy after bouncing around all day long.
We had a little more space on the island this year since the registration tent was at the top of the hill, with the coconut shy and the welly throwing. The face painting on the RNLI stand was very popular as were the hook a duck and splat the rat games. The Shelterbox generated interest as people queued for hot dogs and burgers and the scouts promoted their World Jamboree fundraising efforts while selling lots of lovely fudge.
Thank you to members of Sinodun Rotary Club, Oxford and High Wycombe Rotaract Clubs and to the Oxfordshire Scout Jamboree Unit for all helping out on the day. Thank you also to residents of Little Wittenham for both providing the teas and cakes and for putting up with the annual invasion of Pooh Sticks fans. And a particular thank you to David Newton and Tim Beesley who manned the boats sitting under the bridges, picking up the sticks, and there just in case anyone fell in.
Karen, Oxford Spires Rotary Club, 28th March 2011