Quirky England

From toe-wrestling championships to garlic festivals, 2010 promises to be a weird and wonderful year in England

In an effort to round up a few more tourists and force them to visit these fair shores, the Visit England tourist board has just announced its calendar of quirky events. Here, to whet your appetite, is the list in full:

April 5th – World Coal Carrying Championships, Gawthorpe, West Yorkshire.

Burly chaps carry 50kg of coal over an uphill, mile-long course. The ladies, being daintier, carry 20kg.

April 23rd - May 31st – Worcestershire Asparagus Festival, Evesham, Worcestershire.

Food, races, talks and more food all dedicated to the green spear, for over a month, that’s just grand.

June 12th - 13th – Annual Nettle-eating Contest, Bottle Inn, Dorset

Every year 30 or so foolhardy souls sit down to consume two feet of nettles in an hour. The winner is the person with the longest length of empty stalk (and, presumably, the sorest tongue)

August – World Toe Wrestling Championship, Bentley Brook pub, Derbyshire

For over 30 years valiant contestants, have struggled, sweated and fought to win the toe wrestling championships.  Olympic recognition has not been forthcoming.

July 17th – World Snail Racing Championships, Norfolk

The event which has been going on for almost 25 years sees more than 300 snails sprint (slowly) across a 13-inch course. The record is held by Archie, who completed it in just two minutes.

July – Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race, London

A race with some real historic roots, rather than too much time in a pub: Thomas Doggett first organised the race in 1715 to celebrate George I coronation.  The 7.24 km race is rowed by watermen competing for the scarlet coat and silver badge, the old formal livery of the watermen.

August 14th – 15th – Isle of Wight Garlic Festival, Isle of Wight

Garlic, bloody well everywhere, even in the ice cream, as a two-day celebration of the end of the garlic harvest.

December 31st – Flaming Barrels, Northumberland

Time to see the New Year in with a bang, as from 23.30 men run through the streets carrying blazing whiskey barrels filled with tar, before throwing them into an unlit bonfire. At midnight everyone joins hands and sings Auld Lang Syne and the New Year has been given an incendiary welcome.