WICKHAM Water Meadows was a special place to keep cool in the hot weather.

The Quacky Races are one of the highlights of the village's carnival capers and hundreds of villagers lined the river bank to cheer on the competitors.

Introduced two years ago, the raft race has become a big hit among villagers.

The challenge is to build a raft no bigger than an A 4 piece of paper which has to carry an egg supplied by the committee. And the rules mean that the egg must stay on the raft during the race. It cannot be held in place by any glue, nails, elastic bands or blue tac.

The raft must not be powered in any way. The event has captured the imagination of not only children but adults. And villagers of all ages were keen to dive into the challenge.

Then it was the turn of the ducks to take to the water. On such a warm day the Golden Duck race was a hotly contested attraction.

About 1,000 plastic ducks, some sponsored by local businesses, raced from Bridge Street through the water meadows over the weir to the finish line at Fareham Road.

There was everything to play for with a first prize of £100, a second prize of £75 and a third of £50. Other attractions included a bouncy castle, fishing for a duck, a duck trail, lots of ice cream and a barbecue.