Couldn’t get tickets to the London Olympics? Consider attending Britain’s odd,
unconventional competitions. By Shelly Steig T
A man dressed as a rooster parades in front of the crowd gathered in the yard behind the Rose N Bowl pub in Stacksteads, Lancashire, England. He is the last in a line of 16 men and eight women garbed in outrageous costumes for the World Gravy Wrestling Championships. Speakers blare the Chicken Dance Song while spectators make beaks with their hands and fl ap their bent arms in time to the music.
The organizer of the event, Andy Holt, wears a bulky penguin outfi t that covers him head-to- toe. He waddles toward the line of journalists and photographers gathered near 50-gallon drums, enough to total nearly two tons of brown gravy. Holt tells me he didn’t sleep the night before since he was busy making the sauce from “a family recipe.” He grabs a giant ladle and fi lls a pit in the center of the arena. The fi rst two wrestlers, identical-looking brothers wearing printed frocks, step into the pit. They grapple for two minutes, splashing slippery gravy across the ground, the referee…and me. Despite the saucy turn some of the matches
take, this is a family affair—an opportunity for the community to gather and raise money for the East Lancashire Hospice. Throughout the day the sun comes and goes, and the crowds continue to grow. There aren’t as many specta- tors as those who will attend The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which the city hosts July 27 to August 12, but gravy wrestling is certainly a lot more comical. Anybody who’s ever watched BBC’s comedies
Fawlty Towers or Absolutely Fabulous knows the English let loose in unexpected ways—especially when it comes to unusual competitions which are staged all across England, all through the year. With London as my base, I attended contests
all over Britain most effi ciently—and without having to drive on the wrong side of the road— using a BritRail pass (
www.britrail.com). When in London, I’m treated like royalty at The Red Carnation Mayfair. A quintessentially British establishment with dark woods, rich color pal-
Gravy and dressing go together at Thanksgiving, but not necessarily during a match at the World Gravy Wrestling Championships.
ates and opulent furnishings, the hotel features doormen in tuxes and top hats who greet guests. Rooms feature bathrooms with deep soaking tubs—a bonus after a long day of touring. Here are some other memorable games
to attend. Kicking and ‘purring’
Spectators are the ones making faces at the most painful contest to watch, and participate in—the Shin Kicking World Championships. Scheduled for May 31, 2013, it’s the favorite event at the Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpicks, in Chipping Camden, Cotswold. Shin kicking is also referred to, bizarrely enough, as “purr-
EnCompass July/August 2012 39
© Jeff Steig
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