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Worthing International Birdman

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  • BRITAIN
Aug 24 2009

The annual Birdman competition, in which contestants leap from Worthing pier into the sea took place this weekend. Competitors can enter into three different categories, the Leonardo Da Vinci Class for self/team-designed and built innovative craft, the Condor Class for modified hang-glider and similar craft, and the Kingfisher Class for fun flyers. The first two classes are judged by distance, and if a competitor flies over 100m they win a £30,000 jackpot. A few centimeters more and one competitor would have gone home a much happier man on Saturday! The Kingfisher Class (pictured here) was open to the fun flyers […]

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Totnes Orange Races

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  • BRITAIN
Aug 20 2009

Every year the Totnes Elizabethan Society host a series of tricky and sticky races down the town’s steep high street involving the humble orange. This year it was held on Tuesday, to coincide with the Elizabethan Market. The idea is to be first through the finishing tape, with your orange, or at least part of it, having kicked or thrown it ahead of you whilst running the course. You don’t have to finish with the same orange you started with, as there are no rules to prevent competitors from pinching each other’s, and in all honesty it’s not as though […]

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Braughing Wheelbarrow Race

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  • BRITAIN
Jul 20 2009

Heavy rain wasn’t to put off hundreds of spectators who lined the street on Friday evening to cheer on competitors taking part in Braughing Village’s annual Wheelbarrow Race. The rain was actually far less of a threat than I’d imagined, as everyone comes prepared for the kids, who see to it that everyone gets soaked whatever the weather. Whilst eggs and flour bombs were banned from the race, water bombs and pistols were actually on sale, and with the races focused around a ford there was no shortage of ammunition. Young and old(er) took part in three races of varying […]

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Three Horseshoes Wheelie Bin Race

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  • BRITAIN
Jul 13 2009

What have Greased Lightning,  a locomotive, a barge, a tractor and a bath tub got in common? Why they’re all ‘major pieces of machinery. Systematic, hydromatic, ultramatic.’ They’re wheelie bins, and they were just a few of 14 clapped out old things to be given a new life – to compete in the Three Horseshoes Wheelie Bin Race on Saturday. Teams went to great lengths to win the title of fastest bin, best bin, and best dressed team in what is basically an 800 yard dash up the road and back, with a few stops to neck a half pint […]

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World Toe Wrestling Championship

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  • BRITAIN
Jun 16 2009

Alan ‘Nasty’ Nash, reclaimed the men’s World Toe Wrestling title on Saturday after he beat the ‘Toeminator’ who held it for the past 4 years. Despite tough competition from names such as ‘Detoenator’ and ‘Toenado’, it was the friendly rivals who made it to face each other in the final, as expected. Any chance the ‘Itoelian Stoellion’ had to improve on his 2nd place from last year went out the window when he failed the nurses foot inspection. Special mention must go to my nemesis Lisa Shenton, who just wrestled me to the post for the ladies title. Grrrr – […]

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The Great Spitalfields Pancake Race

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  • BRITAIN
Feb 25 2009

The annual Great Spitalfields Pancake Race took place on Shrove Tuesday with teams of pancake-flipping people chasing up and down Dray Walk in the Old Truman Brewery, all in the hope of winning the coveted prize of a stunning, engraved frying pan. For those who missed out on the main prize, there was still hope… as other prizes were presented for both the best-dressed and best behaved team, as well as scrumptious pancakes for all who entered!  

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Mappleton New Year’s Day Bridge Jump

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  • BRITAIN
Jan 01 2009

I’m not so sure this is a very good way to clear your head after a heavy night, but 50 competitors would appear to disagree as they leaped feet first into the New Year for charity. 25 teams of 2, in separate races for men and women, braved the freezing water to paddle boats quarter of a mile down the river to Mappleton Bridge, climb up the bank, jump 30ft off the parapet, swim ashore and run across a field to the pub for a hot cup of soup. The perfect accompaniment for hypothermia and appropriately money raised will benefit […]

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World Snail Racing Championships

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  • BRITAIN
Jul 20 2008

About 200 snails slugged it out to be fastest over the finishing line on Saturday at the World Snail Racing Championships, in Congham, Norfolk. Heats were held throughout the afternoon, with each winner earning a place in the grand final at the end of the day. This was the only race to be timed, and aptly with the power of a McLaren engine, the winning snail named Heikki Kovalainen speeded over the course in 3 mins 2 secs, taking home the silver tankard stuffed with lettuce leaves. It was a fast time, but it didn’t come close to threatening the […]

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Great Knaresborough Bed Race

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  • BRITAIN
Jun 16 2008

The small market town of Knaresborough was brought to a complete standstill on Saturday for the running of the 42nd ‘Great Knaresborough Bed Race’. Thousands of people flocked to the picturesque town in North Yorkshire to witness this well loved event. Before the race, the 62 teams competing this year, paraded their imaginatively constructed beds through the streets, cheered on by lines of spectators, in the hope of winning the best dressed title. To my bemusement, the beds were then stripped to their bare metal frame, filling skip after skip of cardboard which had been lovingly crafted into different forms […]

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Mince Pie Eating Contest

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  • BRITAIN
Nov 20 2007

Turkey may not be the only festive fare in shortage this Christmas as hungry competitors munched their way through hundreds of mince pies at the Wookey Hole Big Eat Mince Pie Eating Contest, in Somerset. Twelve handpicked competitors from Britain, both professional fast-eaters known as ‘gurgitators’ and some members of the public who fancy their pie-eating abilities, competed against each with the aim to eat the most pies over a 10 minute session. With a first prize of £1000 and a chance to get into the Guiness Book Of Records, it’s not to be scoffed at! This years winner, 34 […]

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About this blog

The vast majority of posts in this blog are about quirky & eccentric competitions & festivals. I started it in 2006 in France with a competition I’ll never forget. Where contestants battle it out to become the World Champion Pig Squeeler, or ‘Cri du Cochon’. I had little knowledge back then of quite how far my pursuit of these kind of events would lead me. I’ve travelled all over Britain (and occasionally further afield) to capture our curiosities and quirks. There’s nothing uniquely eccentric about the British, you’ll find people all over the world up to all sorts of weird and wonderful activities, but we do have a remarkable capacity to embrace the madness. ‘A Brit Different’ is the book that was born from it, my labour of love! So what next? There’s always something interesting going on, so watch this space, only time will tell!

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