Mad machines and wacky wheels will be missing from Great Cheverell this August bank holiday weekend.

The Great Cheverell soap box derby, which has been run for the last three years but which has its origins in the 1980s, will not be running this year although organisers stress that it has been far from forgotten.

Last year 34 teams braved peaks and troughs, water bombs and straw chicanes, as a variety of partially wheeled contraptions peddled, pulled and hauled themselves across the finishing line.

In doing so they helped to raise £2,000 for the Dorothy House Hospice Care fund as well as providing a fitting showpiece to a day that also featured live music and a BBQ at the Bell Inn.

This year however, there will be no race but, as Pete Andrew explains, the soap box derby is still very much at the forefront of organisers’ minds.

“When we restarted the event three years ago we always intended to have a break,” he said.

“Last year we wanted to run an event to commemorate Bryan Coupe, a founder and later commentator of the race, but this year seemed a good opportunity to stop and take stock, as not only did the committee need a rest but it is also less easy for local businesses to provide the necessary sponsorship during the recession. “But we will be back with a vengeance next year with a race that will be more interesting, more challenging and more exciting.”

The new Great Cheverell Pavilion gives scope to improve the quality of the event and there is talk of new course layouts and obstacles.

While many will be disappointed that this August bank holiday will not provide an opportunity to roll downhill on a set of spurious wheels held together by a combination of will power and gaffa tape, there will still be opportunities to enjoy yourself over this bank holiday weekend. Gary Weston at the Bell Inn will be running a cider festival over the Saturday and Sunday as well as a music festival featuring among other