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Slindon Pumpkin Festival

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  • BRITAIN
Nov 01 2013

For one month of the year the sleepy West Sussex village of Slindon, near Arundel, celebrates pumpkin growing on a massive scale. Each October, tourists (in coach loads) from around the world time their holidays to coincide with the village’s annual festivities. The man behind it was the late Ralph Upton, a market gardener who was given the title ‘King of the Pumpkin World’. He grew pumpkins on his six-acre plot for over 40 years, planting approximately 15,000 seeds each Spring to produce an organic harvest of more than 50 varieties, not to mention over 30 varieties of squash! In […]

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Appleby Horse Fair

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  • BRITAIN
Jun 13 2013

Thousands of Gypsies and Travellers descended on the small town of Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, for it’s famous horse fair last week. The annual gathering, which takes place the first week in June, from Thursday to the following Wednesday, is the largest and one of the oldest fairs of its kind anywhere in Europe, as King James II granted a Royal Charter in 1685 allowing a horse fair to be held ‘near the River Eden’. It’s thought about ten thousand travellers and horse dealers gather from all over Britain to meet old friends & relations, celebrate their similar lifestyles, and to buy […]

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Whittlesea Straw Bear

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  • BRITAIN
Jan 14 2013

The Whittlesea Straw Bear festival took place on Saturday in an annual custom which was started in the 1800’s, forbidden in the early 1900’s, and revived in 1980 by the Whittlesea Society. The bear, and two smaller bears parade around the town of Whittlesea near Peterborough, accompanied by his or her attendant minder, musicians and dancers. They visit most of the town’s public houses on their journey, and perform a clumsy dance in front of the audiences that have gathered at each one. Historically they would do this to to receive gifts of money, food & beer. The straw costume […]

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Pearly Kings & Queens Harvest Festival

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  • BRITAIN
Oct 02 2012

Glittering London Pearly Kings & Queens came together from boroughs across the city, to take part in the annual Costermongers’ Harvest Festival at St Mary-le-Bow Church, in the city of London, on Sunday. The Harvest Festival is their flagship event with everyone decked out in their shiniest and most elaborate outfits. Starting at Guildhall Yard, the well attended event features traditional English entertainment including Maypole dancing, Morris dancers, a marching band, and of course, the singing of classics such as ‘Maybe It’s because I’m a Londoner’, before the short parade to St Mary-le-Bow Church, home of the renowned Bow Bells, […]

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Alphorn (Cor des Alpes) Festival

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  • ABROAD
Jul 31 2012

The 11th international alphorn festival of Nendaz took place in the canton of Valais in Switzerland on the 20, 21 & 22 July. The Festival is a musicians meeting place, with an official alphorn competition, concerts, yodelling, performances by folk groups, traditional dances and spectacularly, the ‘morceaux d’ensemble’ (with over 150 players). In short, it’s a festival dedicated to tradition and folklore, with spectators and participants coming together from all over France and Switzerland. There were 70 entries into the competition, divided into 6 categories (for the under 16’s, solo musicians, groups & those who had won or previously gained […]

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Hawick Common-Riding

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  • BRITAIN
Jun 13 2012

The first, and best attended, of the Common-Ridings of the Scottish border towns took place in Hawick last week and the guide book that said these festivals are one of Britain’s best-kept secrets is probably right. Without going into all the details, the Common Ridings are centuries-old re-enactments of the horseback patrol of town boundaries that were undertaken more than four hundred years ago by towns on the Scottish-English border, to give the Scots early warning of attacks from their neighbour. The statue of a young man on horseback (known as ‘The Horse’) that stands in the centre of Hawick […]

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Paddle (Something Unusual) Round the Pier

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  • BRITAIN
Jul 06 2011

Thousands of people headed down to the beach this weekend to visit and take part in ‘Paddle’, Europe’s biggest free beach and watersports festival. Held on Hove Lawns, it features the best in water and urban sports along with live music, kids entertainment, ‘have a go’ opportunities and numerous events. One of the old favourites, along with it’s famous sister’s title event – Paddle Round the Pier, is Paddle Something Unusual. In the organisers words, this event is “the perfect opportunity for those of you less stable in the community to excercise your creativity and join in the Paddle”. Entry […]

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Krakelingen Festival

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  • ABROAD
Feb 28 2011

Every year in the Belgium city of Geraardsbergen, about 800 residents parade through the streets in costumes that evokes it’s 25-century-old history. Started by the druids, and ending with more contemporary subjects, the parade combines both Christian and pre-Christian elements. Led by the church dean and city councilors, participants carry bread, wine, fish and fire from the church of Hunnegem to Oudenberg Hill, climbing up to the Holy Mary Chapel on the hilltop, the highest point in the city. Inside, the dean blesses the krakelingen (ring-shaped breads) and recites a prayer. The religious and secular authorities then drink wine from […]

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Pride

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  • BRITAIN
Aug 09 2010

What can I say?…  

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Lewes Bonfire Night

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  • BRITAIN
Nov 13 2007

Aptly described as ‘a head-on collision of Halloween and Mardi Gras’ in the Rough Guide to the world’s best festivals. Held on the 5th of November, Lewes Bonfire Night is without doubt one of the most dangerous, but impressive festivals I’ve experienced. With about sixty thousand people descending on the town each year, it closes down to traffic, while shops and offices wisely board up their windows and doors for the craziness that is to follow. Five bonfire societies from different parts of the town compete to provide the most spectacular display. I followed the antics of Cliffe, which included […]

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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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