Billy Carts and Back Stories

Last weekend here in Sydney, Sydney Living Museums held a family event described as “two days of play, entertainment and creativity as we celebrate ‘Toys Through Time’ at our Toy Festival.

 The webpage and promotional ad and materials encouraged people to:

“Pack a picnic and bring the family along to Rouse Hill House & Farm for a weekend of fun for all ages!

Ride a billycart down the historic Old Windsor Road, jump on a mini train, meet our roving stilt performers, Madame Absynthe and Mr Farthing, and try your hand at kite flying…”

There were many other exhibits and activities as well.

However, I was part of the Bill Cart Rides team (a group of community and church groups in our local area) who have held the successful Rouse Hill Billy Cart Derby for the last four years at the Rouse Hill Town Centre in Sydney’s north-west.

 Memorable Family Experiences

 Fortunately, both days of the weekend were mild and sunny winter’s days in Sydney and the anticipated attendance of 2000 swelled to over 5000 and apparently the Billy Cart Rides were a favourite activity of both parents and children. (About 600 free rides over the 2 days)

 The historical setting of the Rouse Hill House and Farm meant that the Billy Cart Rides were down an old gravel road and mainly it was parents pushing their children down the marked out course weaving around witches hats or cones which provided a slalom effect.

 This was not a race like our regular Billy Cart Derby. It was a leisurely walk (in the main) down the course, where the youngsters could share with their parent, an old fashioned dirt road experience.

 Time and time again, as I watched from my marshal's vantage point, the delight and enjoyment, not only of the child but also their mother or father was evident on their faces.

 Of course there were many smart phones coming out to record these precious moments by either picture or videos and one of the few pictures I took (below) had a mother comment as I was taking it, “a nice Kodak Moment.”

 I didn’t comment, but thought to myself, Yes I remember those, but this was a Samsung moment because of the demise of Kodak consumer cameras a few years ago.

 However, the comment got me thinking about an interview I had recently heard with Robert Rose on the Social Media Examiner podcast about his latest book, Experiences: The 7th Era of Marketing - Robert Rose, Carla Johnson – where he contends we have entered the experience era of marketing at this time.

 Marketers will need to not just promote products or services but provide experiences for people.

 Engagement and Participation

 I didn’t have much opportunity to interact with parents during the rides but at lunch time on the second day I attended with a hundred or so people, young and old, a demonstration by Steve, our official Safety Scrutineer, on how to build a simple billy cart, like in the header picture above, which all but one of the billy carts on the day had been constructed.

Steve has a great personality to engage with both parents and particularly children as he explained the process and selected willing volunteer children to help him with the construction.

 For 45 minutes to an hour on both days he had the audience enthralled and in the “palm of his hand” as he entertained as well as demonstrated how to build a billy cart.

After the cart was build, he asked all those who had participated, as well as any others, to come over and draw a stencil of their hands on the cart and write their name on the cart.

 I think many of the kids will remember that for years to come.

 Back Stories Being Rekindled

 While that was going on, one of the fathers was sharing with Steve how his own father had built this amazing detailed billy cart when he was a kid and this day had brought back the memories that he could share with his own son.

Also one of the mothers was telling me how, when shad gone back to Sri Lanka with her children for Christmas holidays at her parents’ house, she had emailed some DIY plans to her father in Sri Lanka so he could make a billy cart for her kids to enjoy while they were there.

 She asked if I knew where she could get materials so that she and husband could now build a cart with her kids here in Sydney.

 That was easy.

 On the Rouse Hill Billy Cart Derby website we had links to the Bunnings home improvement and outdoor living DIY pages so that families could plan a DIY project them selves via our Downloads page:

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Billy Cart Design and Equipment List

Not sure how to build a billy cart? Download this resource for some tips and equipment list.

 How to Build a Billy Cart

Learn how to build a billy cart. Make sure you also download the equipment list.

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 I have some great memories building and riding billy carts from my youth.

What about you?

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Header Photo credit: Sydney Living Museums