A SPECIALLY filmed version of the Alresford Duck Race, the bi-ennial fundraising event organised by charity the Alresford Pigs Association, was broadcast live on the web for the first time.

The popular event normally runs every two years in the gardens of Weir House, by kind permission of the owners George and Janette Hollingbery.

This year was not scheduled to be a ‘Duck Race year’ but the Pigs decided the town needed a bit of cheering up.

Enlisting the help of local resident and professional wildlife cameraman Nick Ball, an entire event was filmed onsite at Weir House with no spectators. A commentary track and various ambient audio tracks including a simulated crowd was added to produce an hour-long programme which looked and sounded exactly like a live race complete with results, a form guide and even a contentious VAR decision.

Hampshire Chronicle:

The event was simultaneously ‘broadcast’ live at 5pm on the Pigs website, Facebook Live and YouTube to an audience of thousands.

The producer of the event, Oliver Wilson-Barnes said: “We had already appealed to the town to try and raise funds that we knew would be needed in the wake of the government’s response to Coronavirus. People responded immediately and we raised over £30,000 with that direct appeal and other initiatives, so we wanted to give them something back for their generosity.

The Duck Race is really popular in the town and is often remembered as a balmy afternoon in a beautiful English garden amply augmented with plenty of adult ‘refreshment’, locally sourced food and snacks and fun activities for children. We set ourselves the task of recreating as much of this as possible for people to enjoy at home and I think we managed that. We had reports of people from as far afield as Darlington and even North Wales, studying the form online as they swigged Pimms and lemonade in their own."