Not really something we discovered but something that we love about the UK.
It's fair to say that we Brits are an eccentric bunch and it shows in lots of ways, but these are favourite eccentric things about the UK.
- Conkers - Sadly it isn't common place in schools as it used to be, but the World Conker Championship is bigger than ever, not bad for something which is inedible to humans (great if you a deer) and basically you put string through a horsechestnut seed and try to break someone elses conker, the winner is the one with the conker that doesn't break.
- Greasy Pole Challenge - For over 100 years people have been gathering in Aryshire Scotland for the Greasy Pole Challenge (now part of the Marymass Festival), the idea is to climb a greasy pole (7.6 metres) and retrieve a cooked ham (you can almost guaratee it's inedible at the end) , it hasn't taken place from since 2020 due to covid and insurance issues but the latest event took place on the 23rd August 2005, intresting fact is that no womens team has entered since the early 1990's.
- Royal Shrovetide Football - This is a fascinating game as it's history goes all the way back to the 12th century and takes place between two teams in Ashbourne Derbyshire and the town is split into two parts (Up'Ards and the Down'Ards), it's a bit like football but also a bit like rugby and it is such a rough game that the town boards up it's windows , one of the rules is "you must not commit murder, un-nesscary violence is frowned upon but not against the rules.
- Cheese Rolling - This is another of those old events that is believed to go back 600 years and basically it involves rolling a cheese down a steep slope and trying to catch the cheese before it gets to the bottom (broken bones are optional).
- Bog Snorkeling - Have you ever looked at a 55 metre bog and thought I wonder how quickly I could swim it's length, no us neither but if you interested the world record is 1 minute 18 seconds.
- Caber Toss - Now this is really only for the alpha males out their, the idea is to toss a caber (a log) as far as you can , just to show how super macho you are, and of course this should be done while wearing a kilt.
- Welly Wanging - The idea is to throw a welly ( wellington boots to our non UK readers) and the world record is a whopping 64 metres.
- Toe Wrangling - Not one for anyone suffering Podopobia , this is basically wrestling with feet.
- Knob Throwing - This isn't where you throw that person in the office who writes their name on their mug and one their milk in the fridge, this is where you throw a type of roll called a knob and the question is “Why” , well it's more “Why not”.
- May Pole Dancing - This goes all the way back to the pagan days but essentially involves people dancing around a pole with bit of ribbon , basically that's it , don't ask us why, it's another one of those “Why not” things.
- Morris Dancing - This usually goes with May Pole Dacing and is basically lots of people wearing strange outfits hitting sticks together because apparently this helps with fertility.
- Mayor Making - This kinda makes sense, essentially every year when a new mayor is sworn in he / she is weighed and if they gain weight at the end of their time they are geered, in the past rotten fruit was thrown at them as this was seen as a sign the Mayor wasn't working in the towns interest.
- World Nettle Eating - Anyone who has ever accidentally picked up nettles know that it's a painful experience and this takes it one stage further by seeing who can eat the most nettles, I have to say I don't no whether to question Tom Wheelers sanity for eating 35 metres of nettle or commend him for his masocism.
- Straw Bear Festival - Basically on the 1st Monday after 12th night , someone dresses up as a bear (someone covered in straw) and walk through the town, now it's all about Morris dancing and has turned into a bit of an event. so essentiually if your going to do something weird, why not turn it into an event.
- World Gurning Championship - Gurning is basically contorting your face into weird facial expressions and if this isn't enough , you can also see wheelbarrow racing, pipe smoking along with a smaller greasy pole.
- Bonfire Night - This used to be more commonly known as Guy Fawkes night and it's a celebration of torturing and burning to death someone who tried to blow up parliament, it used to involve children creating Guys which are effigies of Guy Fawkes and shouting “penny for the Guy” where you would give change to show appreciate for the Guy ( this doesn't happen as much these days) and then on the 5th November the Guy gets thrown on a bonfire ( a huge pile of wood) and the odd thing about this event is that until a Canadian family member pointed out this was a bit strange, it all seemed quite normal.
So these are our favourite oddities that we love in the UK, do let us know if we missed something, I should add we haven't included wife carrying as this was originally Finnish.
