The Chaseley Boat Race: A Tradition Best Served in Pints

Long before charity fun runs and quiz nights, Chaseley residents had their own way of settling a challenge. It involved teamwork, speed, and a steady hand on a pint glass.

The Chaseley Boat Race began in 1948, sparked by a challenge from friends at the Grange Club, Pals from the Royal Eastbourne Golf Club. Eight players on each side. Eight pints of beer. A simple question: who could finish first?

The rules were clear. Teams lined up side by side. On the signal, the first person drank their pint. Once empty, the glass had to be turned upside down on its head to prove it was finished. Only then could the next teammate start. Spilt drinks or dropped glasses brought penalties. The first team to finish, all glasses inverted, won the race.

It was competitive, noisy, and taken very seriously. And Chaseley were very good at it. Over the next 20 years, the Chaseley team was defeated just twice. Their success earned them a trophy, which still sits proudly behind the bar today, a reminder of evenings filled with laughter, rivalry, and more than a few empty pint glasses.

The Boat Race was about more than drinking. It was about camaraderie, confidence, and doing things together. A group of residents proving, pint by pint, that life at Chaseley was full of energy, humour, and shared moments. Eighty years on, the stories still raise a smile. Some traditions are worth remembering—especially the ones that end with a trophy on the bar.