This Day in History: 1973-07-01

On a Sunday morning, 500 people watched 47 men and a girl race down the Avon River on 24 tractor tubes, in a 10 ½ mile fund-raising race from Northam to Katrine. Three tubes sank during the voyage. The first to reach Katrine was Vaughan Withnell (of Northam) and Mark Smiley, with a time of 4 hours 45 1/2 minutes. A song was written about the event.

Source:
Northam advertiser, 5 July 1973, p.1.