17th June 2025
Thame was awash with excitement this weekend as the Thame & District Round Table 753 hosted their annual Duck Race and parade celebration, delivering a “quacking” good time and raising over £5,700 for local charities, schools, and community groups.
The weekend’s festivities kicked off Saturday with a carnival parade that saw a pirate crew aboard a float “looting Santa” in a humorous twist of holiday-meets-high-seas mischief. The pirate-themed float, supported by Thame Freight Services Ltd. and expertly helmed through the high street, was a crowd favourite.
Sunday brought the main event: over 1,000 rubber ducks launched into the river as spectators lined the banks to cheer them on in the highly anticipated Duck Race. Under the watchful eye of Lowland Rescue Oxfordshire, who ensured the ducks’ safe journey and offered morale boosts to any “tired swimmers,” the community gathered for a family-friendly spectacle of colour, laughter, and a bit of competitive spirit.
The event wouldn’t have been the same without the legendary race commentary from Nathan “Swifty” Swift, who managed to keep pace with the yellow blur of beaks and bills. Pirate Captain Ducky also returned as the beloved mascot, delighting young and old alike.
Thame Round Table offered their heartfelt thanks to the incredible individuals and organisations who made the weekend such a success. These included:
- Rubicon Drones for capturing aerial and ground footage of the weekend’s highlights;
- Simon and Danny Wyse for prepping the riverside path;
- Vale Brewery for keeping the carnival bar stocked with Brill Gold and Gravitas;
- Thame Cricket Club for again hosting the all-important duck wash;
- Living Props, who debuted a brand-new winner’s podium worthy of duck royalty;
- Thame Town Council, for ensuring smooth operations throughout the weekend;
- Cllrs Andy Gilbert and David Dawson, and Heather the Hedgehog from Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital, who helped launch the race with fanfare and flair.
The Thame & District Round Table and Thame & Mid Oxon 41 Club also gave a special nod to their members and families, whose months of behind-the-scenes work and tireless volunteering made the weekend possible.
“This event is all about giving back,” said a representative from Thame Round Table. “It’s only possible thanks to the people who buy tickets, join us at the carnival bar, share the word, and come down to the river to celebrate with us. It’s about community—and what a community we have in Thame!”
As the ducks are now packed away for another year, organisers are already looking forward to the next splash-tastic race in 2026.
Congratulations to this year’s lucky winners—and thank you, Thame, for another unforgettable and absolutely quackers weekend.
