Question: where do you find one canoeing machine, two scuba diving costumes, three mini tennis courts, four rowing machines, a pony, a football goal, and lots of silly team races, all within easy strolling distance of one another in a sunny green field?

Answer: Bushy Park on Sunday 9th July, at the Teddington 800 Family Sports Day.

Everyone knows that Teddington is full of sporty people, and this was a wonderful opportunity to sample almost all of the sports available in our town, as well as watch teams from many of our sports clubs compete against each other in such competitive events as the egg and spoon, the sack race, and of course the three-legged race. After watching the team events, including an impressively young team fielded by Teddington Rugby, many of the spectators joined in too, with young and old battling it out to win a coveted Teddington 800 badge.

The sun shone as children ran between the tennis coaching sessions led by both Teddington Lawn Tennis Club and Revolution Tennis, to the pony rides courtesy of Park Lane Stables, from scoring a goal with Teddington Athletic FC, to trying the canoeing machine kindly brought by the Royal Canoe Club.

Meanwhile the adults tested their skills on the rowing machines provided by Walbrook Rowing Club and the Skiff Club, whose members get a special mention for their classy striped Edwardian-style tops, and for bringing along a beautiful old wooden skiff (‘just in case there are any water-based activities’!) Everyone shouted their support for the teams in the tug of war, including a surprisingly strong Teddington 800 church team.

There was absolutely no cheating in any event (ahem) and after the points for all the events had been verified by our independent adjudicator (thanks Chris), the overall team winners of the day were Revolution Tennis – congratulations to them!

Many thanks to the Teddington cricket clubs and rugby club who hosted the day and allowed the use of their facilities, including their bars. Finally, a huge thanks to Chris Darling and his team for organising such an amazing afternoon.

Everyone had such a good time that there is talk of doing this again – Teddington 801 Sports Day, anyone?