Record breaker weekend at Carrington
The 2011 Carrington Rally (29 & 30 May) succeeded in breaking two records; the number of visitors to the Rally on the Sunday and the number of visitors to its website during the month of May.
Almost 4,000 people came through the gates for the first day of the Rally while internet surfers raised the number of page views on www.carringtonrally.co.uk from an average of 60 per day to a totally unprecedented 472!
There was an atmosphere of tremendous goodwill among visitors and exhibitors throughout the weekend, voted one of the best by the organisers. Defying the financial trend, trade stand holders reported brisk business and co-organiser Mary Turney said: I walked round all the trade stands to make sure people were happy and was very pleased to hear business had gone well. The lady selling homemade cakes almost sold out on the first day and had to bake more for the Monday which is very pleasing.
Entries from Holland and Germany were among the 650-plus exhibits on display ranging from magnificent steam engines to hand operated horticultural tools. Headlines acts, the original Batmobile and stuntman Mark Stannage, added to the family day out feeling, attracting many first-time visitors to the show.
The two winners of the Once in a Lifetime opportunity to ride in the Batmobile during one its main arena displays both came from the Boston area; on Sunday, 7 year-old Joseph Woodss dream came true as the avid Batman fan had his name pulled out first in the free draw while on Monday it was the ladys turn when11 year-old Hermione Wright from Frith Bank sat in the passenger seat.
On Sunday evening around 50 vehicles took part in the Road Run, the slower ones stopping off at the Cowbridge Inn on Horncastle Road and the rest thirty, including the Batmobile carrying on into Boston town centre where they had a half-way halt on The Green before returning to the showground.
Trophies were awarded to winning exhibitors by Carrington Rally organising committee chairman, Malcolm Robinson, who also presented cheques for 365 each to Rev. Rosemary Taylor for Frithville Church and to Valerie Downes for Tetford Church from funds raised by the Rallys Easter Road Run. A further cheque for the same amount will be presented to Hagnaby Priory Church at a later date.
As the showground cleared of visitors and exhibitors on Monday evening, there was already talk of next years Carrington Rally which will take place on Sunday 3 June and Monday 4 June – a week later than normal due to the Spring Bank Holiday being delayed to coincide with HM The Queens Diamond Jubilee in 2012.