Nobody does eccentricity like the British, and tradition can count for a lot more than common sense and logic on this small island. Take the festivals for example – for every mainstream event like Glastonbury or the Notting Hill Carnival, there’s always another that’s simply bizarre. Here are some of the best weird and wonderful festivals that take place in the United Kingdom every year.
What: The World Bog Snorkelling Championships.
Where: Lllanwrtyd Wells, Powys, Wales.
When: August Bank Holiday Monday.
Whilst it may be simple to swim 60 yards, things get a bit trickier when that 60 yards is a trench cut through a slimy bog. Contestants – armed only with a snorkel, flippers and wetsuit – attempt to make their way through the murk as quickly as possible in a bizarre time trial. Oh yes, and they’re not allowed to use any conventional swimming strokes as they do so.
What: The World’s Biggest Liar Contest.
Where: The Bridge Inn, Santon Bridge, Cumbria.
When: Unfixed date in November.
Most people have spun unlikely tales in a pub before, but in this Lake District village, bar blarney has been turned into an artform. The contest commemorates a former publican who was prone to claiming things such as finding turnips that could be used as sheds, and is now a celebration of nonsense. Charlatans from across the globe come to see who can spin the most unlikely, yet most detailed and believable, tall tale.
What: The Bognor International Birdman Competition.
Where: Bognor Regis, Sussex.
When: Usually the first weekend in September.
If man was meant to fly, he would have been given wings. This doesn’t stop some of us trying to defy nature though, and the aim of participants in this gloriously futile contest is to fly 100m without motorised assistance. With a £25,000 prize on offer if someone makes it (no-one ever has), some take it very seriously, with ridiculously expensive adapted handgliders strapped to their back. Others just fall into the sea from the pier dressed as a fairy.
What: Cheese-Rolling.
Where: Cooper’s Hill, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
When: The last bank holiday Monday in May.
Why buy a cheese in a shop when you can win one by chasing it down a ludicrously steep hill? The annual cheese-rolling contest is the consummate wacky race, with runners from around the world gathering to hurtle down a frankly dangerous hillside after a careering Double Gloucester. The cheese is created specially for the event, and the chasers risk broken ankles as well as muddy clothing.
What: World Gurning Championship.
Where: Egremont, Cumbria.
When: Third Saturday in September.
A beauty contest in reverse, this is the chance to get as ugly as possible. Contestants have to put their heads through a horse collar and contort their facial features into the most gruesomely horrible setting they can possibly conjure up. The ugliest face wins. The contest is the crowning glory of the Egremont Crab Fair, which also hosts such traditional delights as a pipe smoking competition and greasy pole climbing.
This article was originally written for Suite101.
Copyright David Whitley
