Four Weird and Wonderful Community
Events

In this three-minute read, we
celebrate the eccentric events that unite and delight.

Whether it’s bog swimmers in
mankinis or Vikings brandishing burning fence posts, Britain can lay claim to
some of the world’s weirdest and most wonderful events.

And while each is unique, they
all have one thing in common: they’re rooted in the community.

In an increasingly globalised,
homogenous world, local festivals and traditions feel even more special.

Unfortunately, due to Covid-19,
many of these headline-grabbing annual fixtures won’t take place this year.
Ditto for many of the low-key fetes, fun runs and fairs that are typically held
in villages and towns in the summer months.

But we can still show our
support. The organisers of many of these events are holding online fundraisers,
so don’t let Zoom fatigue stop you from taking part virtually.

And, when large group activities
can return, let’s all make the most of them.

Here are four of the weirdest UK
events.

1) Cheese Rolling in Brockworth,
Gloucester.

For centuries, people have hurtled
down precipitous Cooper’s Hill in pursuit of a round of Double Gloucester,
resulting in a few broken bones and many bruised egos.

No one’s quite sure why cheese
rolling became a ‘thing’, but some think it was a pagan ritual to encourage
fertility.

This event traditionally takes
place on the second Bank Holiday in May, but alas not this year.

2) World Bog Snorkelling
Championships, Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales.

Ever wondered
what it’s like to swim in murky water that tastes like washed potatoes? If the
answer is yes, then add the World Bog Snorkelling Championships to your bucket
list.

This event,
dreamt up in a pub (after quite a few pints no doubt), started in 1986. It
usually takes place on the last weekend of August (the next championships will
be in 2022).

Participants, often
in fancy dress – mankinis and superhero costumes are perennial favourites – swim
in a 60-foot trench to raise money for charity.

3) Burning Barrels of Ottery St
Mary, Devon.

Setting fire to barrels and
rolling them through the streets was a common lark in the West Country during
the 1600s.

Then, someone in Ottery St Mary
decided rolling 30kg barrels of burning tar was for wimps and started carrying
them instead. Hence the Burning Barrels of Ottery St Mary on 5 November became
a lasting tradition.

4) Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Shetland
Islands.

The Up Helly Aa fire festival takes
place on the last Tuesday of January. Many in the local community spend months
making elaborate costumes and a wooden Viking longship for the event.

On the big day, up to 1,000
warriors or ‘guizers’ march in a torch-light procession that culminates in the
Viking galley being set ablaze.

From all of us here at CWB Property, have a great
Bank Holiday.