WEST Berkshire seafarers have been brushing up on their history as they undertake final preparations for Monday’s Crafty Craft race.
The annual race, which is organised by Newbury Round Table and first started in 1974, will see teams of four battling along the Kennet and Avon Canal between Hungerford, or Kintbury for juniors, and Newbury in self-built crafts.
The theme of this year’s race is The History of Newbury and the West Berkshire Museum, in The Wharf, has been inundated with enquiring minds eager to pick up an idea for their boat.
Senior museum assistant Jennie Currie said: “I think we have seen more people trying to find out things about Newbury.
“It maybe that they had an idea from living in the town or from school and want to find out more details.”
The 10 mile race will start at 8.30am and the presentation of the trophies will take place in Victoria Park at around 4pm.
Around 40 teams have entered the race so far, including a number of crafts from a group of people celebrating a 30th birthday.
The day will be raising money for local charities, Swings and Smiles and Volunteer Centre West Berkshire.
At the launch of the 2009 race, Newbury Round Table handed over a cheque for £10,000 from last year’s event to Swings and Smiles.
Organiser Marcus Franks said: “I am just praying for good weather, especially after the previous two years.
“We are pleased with the number of crafts. I think we have less corporate ones this year, but individuals have made up for that.
“It is going well and it would be nice to better last year’s fundraising total.”
From 10.30am there will be a host of activities taking place in Victoria Park and The Wharf, including inflatable games, stalls, amusements and refreshments.
Pelham’s Fair will also have a number of rides set up on the land adjacent to Newbury football club and the canal.
Mark Craig and friends will be performing on the bandstand in Victoria Park from 11am, while DJs from Heart will also be entertaining the crowds.
To see a video report and picture gallery from Monday’s race keep an eye on newburytoday.co.uk and see next week’s Newbury Weekly News for more.

Prizes up for grabs -
Ladies Circle Cup: The fastest junior team to complete the course in any self-built craft.
Tesco stores Trophy: The junior team judged to have the best turned out craft.
Greatworth Properties Trophy: The junior team judged to best reflect his year’s theme.
Donnington Land and Property Trophy: The fastest company team in a purely paddled self-built craft.
AW Neate and Sons Cup: The second fastest company team in a purely paddled self-built craft.
Charles Lucas and Marshall Trophy: The fastest adult or charity team in a purely paddled self-built craft.
Rousselot Cup: The fastest company, adult or charity team in a self built craft involving pedal power.
Sinclair Youngs Cup: The fastest all female team in any self-built craft.
Newbury Weekly News Trophy: The adult, company or charity team judged to best reflect this year’s theme.
Quantel Cup: The adult, company or charity team judged to have the best turned out craft.
Newbury Round Table Cup: The adult, company or charity team taking the longest time to complete the course by 3.30pm.
Vodafone Cup: The fastest Vodafone team in any self-built craft.
The tlc-ltd.com Lapworth Consultancy IT Support Cup: The fastest adult, company or charity team in any craft deemed by the start judges to be prefabricated or inflatable.
Lawrence the Jeweller’s Cup: The fastest junior team in any craft deemed by the start judges to be prefabricated or inflatable.
Newbury Building Society Trophy: The junior, adult, company or charity team judged to exemplify the fun spirit of the event.

Bandstand entertainment programme (times may vary):

11am: Idle Words - Tom Medhurst (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Jenifer Klepfer (vocals) are a chirpy jazz duet, based in Newbury. Their songs are a mixture of mainstream/harlem Jazz from the 1930s and 40s and their own very unique sound.
11.20am: Stephen Baker – Songs from singer-songwriter Stephen including The Moon in the Daytime and Cry On, have received widespread acclaim and have regularly been featured on the radio.
11.40am: Pete Gritton and Gill Redmond: They enthralled the Crafty Craft audience several years ago with their delightful arrangements of European traditional songs and tunes. Both Pete and Gill sing and their instrumental line-up includes cello, small pipes, tin whistle and bodhran.
12pm: Whistling Billy and Hot Fingers Sam – Newbury’s Mark Craig and Adam Kotz have their mandolins, guitars and tin whistles at the ready for some lively traditional Irish and bluegrass music.
12.20pm: Craig Folk – The family band play their distinctive arrangements of traditional music on guitar, flute, fiddle and tin whistle.
1pm: Newbury Flute Choir – This is a local community music organisation which welcomes flautists of all ages from Grade 5. The Senior Flute Choir will be performing at Crafty Craft.
1.30pm: Adam Kotz and guests - Actor Adam Kotz and guest musicians will be playing a country blues and traditional music set.
2.10pm: Idle Words
2.35pm: Stephen Baker
3pm: Pete Gritton and Gill Redmond
3.25pm: Skyport Ade’s Potting Shed Band - Blues singer and guitarist, Skyport Ade Tucker (whose many self-penned hits include Basingstoke Women, Back in Newbury Again, Allotment Blues and Global Warming), is joined by Pete Crowther (fiddle) and Ruth Kenyon (tea-chest bass) and surprise guests for what promises to be an unforgettable set.
4.10pm: Nightjar - Featuring Juliet (vocals), Damo (vocals and drums), Jim (lead guitar), Pete (rhythm guitar and vocals) and Bob (bass guitar), who will play out the afternoon with a selection of exciting rock and pop covers from the 1960s through to the present day.