IN the wake of this year's Great Waterside Raft Race, the Echo looks back at when the event made a splash 20 years ago.
Harry Potter and his magical mates took a break from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft on August 17, 2003, to participate in the 15th annual Hythe RNLI Raft Race - as it was called back then.
They were joined by bunny girls and bunny boys, a team of Elvis Presley lookalikes and a boatload of bloodthirsty Vikings, all anxious to win the prestigious raft race trophy - and to raise thousands of pounds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Glorious mid-August weather brought thousands of spectators to the popular annual event.
These pictures were all taken on that day two decades ago.
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