MANY of the 90 or so crews who took to the River Wye on Sunday afternoon for the 51st annual Monmouth Raft Race are veterans of the event — but few can claim to have taken part in the early days like Greg Overs.

Greg took part as a 14-year-old with friends from a Lydbrook-based company and now, nearly 50 years on, he has taken to the water again.

Greg was one of three crews from the Monmouthshire Hunt who took part in the annual fund-raiser which is organised by Monmouth Rotary Club.

He said: “I’m reliving my youth — I was on one of the first rafts when I was 14-years-old.

“My mate worked for Edwards Transport in Lydbrook as a mechanic and he asked me if I wanted to take part.

“We were young and we did a very good time but we got disqualified because the raft was too big.”

His friend, Brinley Lewis, now lives in Australia but has promised to sponsor his efforts.

Greg, who is treasurer of the Monmouthshire Hunt, said: “We were looking to do a fund-raising activity and so we decided to put some teams in for the raft race.”

Teams from the Wye Valley, the Forest and around the country took part in the six-mile race from Monmouth rowing club to Tump Farm in Whitebrook where there was a family festival courtesy of the Cullimore family.

Three-quarters of the money will go to St David’s Hospice Care, which provides care at home across Gwent, and the rest to other charities supported by Monmouth Rotary Club.