We’ve just realised 16 August 2025: BBB x LHG: Big Bot Bash (BEVs Feathers) will be the 10th BEVs featherweight event! That’s crazy, how time flies. Back in 2020, we had no expectation that we’d be running 13.6kg featherweights, but here’s how it happened, picture by picture:
1 - The arena started off as an RC car companies’ kids robot party open demo arena with little ~4kg machines which they sold and then was subsequently very generously donated to us by Adam Taylor
2- Summer 2020 (between lockdowns!) we put up the arena in our friend Simon’s garden to test if it was actually safe to contain featherweights.
We got our pals around for a bbq and some test battles:
3- Autumn 2020 to Spring 2021 we added a door, pit mech & box, reinforced walls, an out of the arena zone, taller legs and a net roof:
4 - The first event happened in a rainstorm at the Fieldhouses’ workshop in Taunton, luckily they had a friend with a massive gazebo for emergency cover! But the fights were fun and we knew it was something we wanted to continue.
5 - So we promptly purchased a large gazebo which now is also part of the structural roof of the arena and took it to RoboNerd '21!
6 - Since then the arena has lived on the North Down Orchard farm, the birthplace of Nuts and Two-Headed Death Flamingo and we do an April BBQ camp out and BEVs every year with some great Cider! This is also where the idea of the all important ball pit came about.
7 - And now we do a staple summer event every August at the LHG Taproom with their great beers (including a very special robot themed one)! And next month will be the 10th BEVs!
We just wanted to thank everyone who helped make it happen, from all the volunteer crew, to every competitor and spectator, we’ve had a lot of fun with it and we can’t wait for next month!