High hopes for Hackney coffin dodgers
The Anchor & Hope pub manager Russ Winn,centre, with his team Dave Townsend, left, Arthur Inch and Phil Salvey will be joining the next Red Bull Soapbox Race with their hand-made coffin kart. - Credit: Archant
Hackney residents proved they have deadly ambition by building a dream machine in the style of a coffin for an international non-motorised car race at Alexandra Palace on July 14.
The four-man Coffin Dodgers team hope to compete in the Red Bull Soapbox Race which features wild and wonderful homemade entries from both amateur and experienced racers.
The idea is the brainchild of Russell Wynn, a barman at the The Anchor and Hope in High Hill Ferry in Clapton.
He said: “I saw an advert on TV saying it was going to happen. I had a good feeling about it and knew people from the pub who could help. I then had a dream it was going to happen!
“So I started off folding a few beer-mats to get some enthusiasm behind it and then did some rough sketches of the coffin. From there, I submitted the entry to Red Bull. Out of 100,000 entries we were one of 60 that got accepted. Once it got accepted, I went to the Cooperative Funeral Services in Walthamstow who kindly donated the handles for the car. That inspired me to push forward and we’ve been test-running it at Springfield Park.”
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The former undertaker, of Edmeston Close, Homerton admitted it was a “strange idea” but said it was inspired by his former career.
He added: “The car was made from the skip to the grave.
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“It’s going to be a great day - we hope to win!
“All mourners are welcome.”
