Having read in Kingfisher's blog about the World Famous Suicide Race, I got to wondering about some of the strange country events by which people amuse themselves when there's nothing on the TV.

My favourite is probably the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling event (although I'm not sure that it hasn't fallen foul of the Health & Safety police).

Basically, it is listed as an ancient Gloucester tradition, whereby a wheel of cheese is thrown down a hillside and a group of competitors chase it down the uneven 50-70 degree slope over a distance of 250 yards (hoping to stop in the short distance between the finish line and the cottage fence at the bottom). The first across the line is the winner. As the cheese reaches speeds of up to 70 mph it has never been caught. However, that is the least of the competitors' concerns, as they trip, bounce and fly down the hillside hoping to avoid serious injury - broken bones are regarded as just an occupational hazard.

Having seen film of the event I'm just amazed that there haven't been any deaths.

I just watched a youtube video of this years Cooper Hill event and despite being obviously very dangerous, I find myself having an urge to go and try it!

One "sport" that amazes me is tombstoning, where people jump off cliffs, piers and bridges into the water below. There have been many deaths and serious injuries because of it, mainly when people don't check the depth of the water before they jump!

Remarkably, even here in the US my husband had heard of the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling event. It truly is world famous .

Tombstoning doesn't sound like much fun to me, and yet I ride mountain bikes without a care. On the other hand, I have flung myself out of a perfectly good airplane, so I must be something of a nutter.

Kingfisher

I think I would feel safer jumping out of a plane (with a parachute) than jumping off a cliff that I had no idea how deep the water was!

One of the strangest things I have come across recently is "Extreme Ironing". It is just people trying to find the most inconvenient places to iron possible - and the ironing there! It is completely ridiculous but seems like good clean fun

I think I will opt for the cheese chasing......

Chees rolling, suicide races or extreme ironing.....I think I would choose the extreme ironing! It's hard to believe, but a lot of universities actually have extreme ironing societies now. I can't understand it myself!

What is ironing?

Me too , I would rather be outdoors & be bitten by a horsefly as I was today than be indoors & ironing
I have a saying - On my deathbed I will never say that I wished I had kept up with my ironing pile'.

This post was last modified: 22-08-2007 05:46 PM by tibbar.

What is ironing?

Smacks wild canon along side of head with heavy metal object...



Kingfisher

Smacks wild canon along side of head with heavy metal object...



Kingfisher
[/quote]

Ouch!

I always wondered what that strange-shaped thing was in the corner of the cupboard. None of my clothing needs ironing.

I decided that I'd have enough of ironing after being the laundress for a family of six children plus mum and dad.

I haven't ironed in years (don't want to confess how many years, exactly ).

Kingfisher

We only have one life on this earth and I want to make it as simple as possible so I can enjoy the things I like doing and things that are useful. That does not include ironing! Although I do have one.....somewhere!

Aren't "Rowena" a popular make of iron?

I thought there was only me... perhaps should take it into the garden & watch the birds while I am doing it!!

I've heard that some people find ironing therapeutic

Came across another pastime that ranks up there with the others: bog snorkelling. It seems that you put on a snorklling outfit (complete with flippers) and drag yourself along a ditch full of freezing cold, muddy water. From what I can gather, the key piece of advice is to, under no circumstances, swallow any water. The event left me with a number of unanswered questions, the only printable one being, WHY?????