German team join 60th anniversary bed race

Friends from Knaresborough's twin town of Bebra in Germany were among those who took part in the 60th anniversary of the market town's annual bed race on Saturday.

Known as one of Yorkshire's most eccentric spectacles, the event sees teams pushing decorated beds through the town before a swim across the River Nidd to the finish line.

"We like adventures," Lisa Krapf said of the group's decision to travel to North Yorkshire to take part for the second year in a row.

"I can't explain the feeling from last year - it was so fantastic. [Everyone] shouts and motivates us, it was so nice."

Organisers Knaresborough Lions Club describe the 2.4-mile (3.8km) course as "part fancy dress pageant and part gruelling time trial".

This year's theme was the Swinging Sixties as an homage to the anniversary milestone, and beds and competitors were suitably dressed for the occasion.

Each bed represents a local business, charity, sports club or community group.

One team even turned their bed into the Yellow Submarine, a reference to the Beatles song, which took about six weeks to create.

The first event in 1966 was launched by TV star Harry Corbett, accompanied by his puppets Sooty and Sweep, and was ultimately won by the Army Apprentices team.

There were only four beds that year, and it was also the only time in which competitors pushed real hospital beds.

This year, Knaresborough Striders beat former champions GB Brooks Mens to claim first place.

Martin Brock, secretary of the club said it was "a brilliant community day for Knaresborough".

"It brings the crowds out, the sun's come out, there'll be about 30,000 people dotted around, it really doubles the size of the town," he said.

"Everyone really has bought into it. I like to say things are normal for Knaresborough that might not be normal elsewhere."

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