It all started as an innocent remark in the Middle House. “I can remember racing Bogeys’ as a kid!”, said one of the lads. The idea was born, and a ‘Bogey Race’ was organised !

Generally speaking, Bogeys or ‘Box Carts’ are made of a few bits of wood nailed together, with pram wheels strapped underneath, and a piece of string tied to the front wheels, as a steering mechanism.

It was to take place from the cattle grid on the ‘Top Fell’, down Slack Bank, and finish at the cattle grid at the Slack in Butterknowle, one Sunday morning in July. In parts, a 1:6 gradient, scary enough in a car, Terrifying, on a Bogey !

RACE DAY……..

All sorts of Bogeys were assembled, ready to race, at the top fell cattle grid. Paul Armstrong’s tubular steel bogey, looked the winner all day. Tough, solid and with racing wheels off a small motorbike, it was the one to beat. There was various other efforts…. A couple of traditional wooden ones, a converted Go-cart, a three wheeler and a posh one, that had been made by The Northern Echo, In racing blue, and covered in the Echo’s slogan.

Prize for the ‘Most Unusual Bogey’ went to CRAIG CORNER.

It was, and I kid you not, AN ARMCHAIR ! Granted, it had been fitted with wheels, and had a steering wheel come joystick for guidance, but never the less, it was a genuine armchair from someone’s three piece suite !

Myself and my wife Diane, had been sent, to ‘Block Off’ the road from Burnt House, so, as to give the racers a clear passage down Slack Bank, with Janice Copeland sat in the back of my pick up, on, wait for it, a Rocking Chair. She looked like Ma Clampet !

THEY’R OFF……….

The man from the Northern Echo instantly ‘Bottled It’, and refused to race, claiming he had to get to the finish line in his car, so he could ‘Interview’ the winner. The big puff !

As was expected, Paul shot off like a scolded cat, leaving everyone in his wake, including Corner in his armchair.

(I think he’d dozed off !) Suddenly, Corner was in the race, with a fag in his mouth, and a can of lager in his hand, he looked hilarious.

All he needed was a copy of the TV Times !

He wasn’t going that fast, but the poor lad looked terrified. He just about got around the first bend, but then, the hill gets steeper towards Station Houses.

“I’M LOSING IT” screams Corner. The armchair turns to the right, then, swerves violently to the left. As Corner fights to regain control, the unruly piece of furniture leaves the road.

Florence McClure is a lovely lady, who likes nothing more, than a walk on Cockfield Fell of a Sunday morning. It’s a pleasant enough walk over to Station Houses and back up Slack Bank, home in time for some roast beef and Yorkshire puddings.

I should imagine she thought that, never in her ‘Wildest Dreams’, she would ever be RUN OVER by an ARMCHAIR !

Florence told me that as luck would have it, the damage was to her bad knee !

Incredibly, the police called at the Middle House the next day to ask if they had heard of any illegal road racing.

How things get exaggerated !!

Cost of wood for bogey……………. £10 Cost of wheels …………….£5 But the look on Florence and Corner’s face……….PRICELESS.