WINNING the 15th World Poohsticks Championships was the last thing on the mind of Oxfordshire granny Marlene Akrigg.

She had gone along to Day's Lock Island, Little Wittenham, near Dorchester, yesterday, to cheer on her granddaughter Cheneisse, four, a big Winnie-the-Pooh fan.

But shy Cheneisse withdrew at the last minute leaving granny holding the Poohstick.

The game is based entirely on luck and luck was smiling on Mrs Akrigg, 48, of Henley Road, Sandford-on-Thames.

In a tense final her yellow stick sneaked over the finishing line ahead of several others belonging to much younger competitors. Poohsticks are dropped off one of two bridges and the first to cross under a taut piece of string 15ft further down the river wins.

Mrs Akrigg said there had been a lot of glum-faced children glaring at her.

"I was a bit embarassed, so was my husband, because the event is supposed to be for children. I only entered because my granddaughter changed her mind when we got there.""I was surprised to get through the first heat to be honest," she said. But considering the event requires luck and absolutely no skill Mrs Akrigg has done remarkably well in the event.

She has only taken part once before. That was two years ago and she was runner-up in the final.

But her new Pooh bear is on its way to a youngster after all because she is giving it to her other grandchild, Lucas, who is just 11-months-old.

More than 600 people took part and more than a 1,000 cheered them on in this year's championships.

The event was started by former lock-keeper Lynn Davies after he got sick of people pulling twigs off trees to play Poohsticks.

He has now retired but the event which raises money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution is continued by the Rotary Club of Sinodun.

And everyone who drops a coloured Poohstick into the Thames now receives a special certificate as a memento.

Other helpers included Wallingford & District Venture Scouts, the Inner Wheel of Sinodun, the Women's Royal Voluntary Service and Laura Taylor, 15, from Benson, who dressed up as Winnie-the-Pooh.

There is a similar event in Hartfield, East Sussex, which takes place on the actual bridge that author A A Milne used to base the game of Poohsticks in his book.

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