Rotary Club of Langley and Iver
District 1090, Central Southern England
Moonraker
Moonraker is our signature fundraising activity which raises about £8000 for charitable causes. It is a night orienteering exercise with teams of 4 walkers navigating a course of approximately 10 miles over open countryside and woodland. Team Leaders need to be a minimum of 16 years old and other team members a minimum of 14 years old.
The Origin of the Term "Moonraker"
The term Moonraker is used for Wiltshire people. It is thought to indicate that they are a bit challenged when it comes to the intelligence department. However all is not quite as it seems.
The term originated as a result of a raid by customs men on a Wiltshire village. They suspected the locals of illegal distilling. The raid took place at night and the local people had a tip-off that it was to take place. They disposed of the illegal stills, associated equipment and booze in the mill pond.
It was a still, moonlit night when the customs men raided the village, and the equipment and all could be seen at the bottom of the pond through the glassy surface. The locals fetched rakes and other farm implements and pretended to be stupid by trying to rake the reflection of the moon off the surface of the pond in order to disturb the surface so that the customs men could not see what was hidden at the bottom. Hence the name Moonraker. Wiltshiremen are not so stupid as their reputation would have us believe!
The term Moonraker is used for Wiltshire people. It is thought to indicate that they are a bit challenged when it comes to the intelligence department. However all is not quite as it seems.
The term originated as a result of a raid by customs men on a Wiltshire village. They suspected the locals of illegal distilling. The raid took place at night and the local people had a tip-
It was a still, moonlit night when the customs men raided the village, and the equipment and all could be seen at the bottom of the pond through the glassy surface. The locals fetched rakes and other farm implements and pretended to be stupid by trying to rake the reflection of the moon off the surface of the pond in order to disturb the surface so that the customs men could not see what was hidden at the bottom. Hence the name Moonraker. Wiltshiremen are not so stupid as their reputation would have us believe!