Cheese Rolling Contest: People sprint to catch a 7-pound wheel of cheese
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
With participants tumbling, somersaulting, and crashing their way to the bottom, the headline 'People sprint to catch a 7-pound wheel of cheese' is technically accurate, but it doesn't quite capture the madness, tradition, and injuries that define this bizarre British spectacle. So, is it a good headline? That depends on what you're hoping to convey.
What is the Cheese Rolling Contest
The Cheese Rolling Contest is an annual event held on Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire.
Dating back at least two centuries, and possibly much longer, the race involves competitors hurtling down a 200-yard slope after a large wheel of cheese. The goal? Be the first to reach the bottom and claim the cheese as a prize. It sounds simple, but the event is notorious for its steep incline, dangerous tumbles, and frequent injuries.
The thrill and risk of the chase
The hill is so steep that it's nearly impossible to stay upright. Most participants end up tumbling head over heels, colliding with each other or the ground.
Gravity takes over quickly, and the cheese, reaching speeds of up to 70 mph, is almost never actually caught. Still, competitors willingly risk sprains, fractures, and concussions for a shot at glory and a round of cheese.
Image: AP
2025 highlights: Familiar faces and dramatic falls
This year, German YouTuber Tom Kopke claimed victory for the second year in a row. Shirtless and triumphant, he declared, 'I risked my life for this. It's my cheese. Back to back.' On the women's side, Ava Sender Logan from London tumbled repeatedly but emerged victorious, saying, 'It felt quite long coming down and then I hit my head.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
I'm fine.' Around them, spectators packed the woods and fences for a glimpse of the chaos.
Is it just madness or tradition
While the event may seem absurd to outsiders, for locals and returning participants, it's a point of pride and cultural identity. Despite calls to regulate or cancel it over safety concerns, the contest continues to thrive, drawing international competitors and media attention. Volunteers, medics, and long-time residents treat it as an important local tradition
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
31 minutes ago
- News18
Director Aditya Chopra nominated for UK Stage Debut Award for ‘DDLJ' musical
Agency: PTI Last Updated: London, Aug 21 (PTI) Bollywood filmmaker Aditya Chopra was on Thursday named among the nominees of the UK Stage Debut Awards for his 'Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical,' which had a successful run at Manchester's Opera House earlier this year. 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', popular as 'DDLJ' with Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan in the lead of the 1995 film, was transformed into a theatrical production and had its UK premiere in May. Chopra reprised his role as director of the English language stage production, which revolves around the love story of Simran and Roger. 'This year's nominees truly embody the future of British theatre, and I can't wait to celebrate their achievements," said Alistair Smith, editor of 'The Stage' theatrical publication. 'Judging the Stage Debut Awards was as thrilling as it was challenging. The sheer breadth and brilliance of emerging talent across the UK made narrowing down our longlist of more than 200 eligible theatre-makers no easy task," he said. The annual Stage Debut Awards, now in their 8th year, highlight breakthrough actors, writers, directors, designers, composers or lyricists to help cement their position in the industry. A selection of expert advisers including casting directors, producers, designers and other creatives from across the UK help the judges curate the shortlist for the awards, which are being held in association with streaming giant Netflix. The 46 nominations originate from UK shows staged across all parts of the United Kingdom to shine a spotlight on individuals making their professional or West End debuts in acting, directing, design, writing and musical composition. 'This year there are several individuals with South Asian heritage being recognised for their excellence in directing: among the nominees is Amit Sharma for Ryan Calais Cameron's 'Retrograde' (in the Best Creative West End Debut category)," said the awards panel in a statement. Also nominated are Adam Karim for 'Guards at the Taj' at the Orange Tree Theatre, London, and visionary Indian filmmaker Aditya Chopra for 'Come Fall In Love' at Manchester's Opera House, who are both in the running for the Best Director category, the statement added. The winners of the 2025 awards will be announced at a glittering ceremony in London on September 28, with the Best West End Debut Performer as the only category to be chosen by a public vote. 'Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical', which completed its UK debut run in Manchester in June, was a nod to the original as it followed Simran as a young British Indian woman who finds herself engaged to a family friend in India in an arranged marriage. However, the plot thickens when she falls in love with a British man named Roger. UK-based actors Jena Pandya and Ashley Day played Simran and Roger in the production, featuring an original score complete with 18 English songs and music by Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravjiani. The creative team also included choreographer Rob Ashford, of Disney's 'Frozen' fame, with co-choreography by Shruti Merchant. PTI AK NPK NPK view comments First Published: August 21, 2025, 21:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Video of a group of turtle in an unusual pattern goes viral: Internet wonders what turtles are discussing
Image credits: X/@AMAZINGNATURE Turtles seem to be turning tables too. In a video going viral on the internet a group of turtles, which is called a bale, were seen to be having what seemed to be a meeting. The sight has not only surprised the internet but also encouraged people to ponder what the seemingly serious discussion could be about. An account on X, titled 'Nature is Amazing' posted a video of a bale of turtles sitting underwater in a circular pattern with three turtles being in the centre. "Turtles meeting (laughing emojis)," they wrote in the caption. The video has received 11.9M views on the social media app with 254K likes and 3.3K comments. Netizens have been wondering just what the turtle meeting could be about. When one asked for an explanation on what the turtles were doing, a person in the comments wrote, "Clearly the chieftain is giving a rousing speech which shall be remembered for generations. To ensure this, the scribe is transcribing the speech onto the shell of one of the ranking tribe members." Some came up with humorous movie comparisons such as "turtle fight club" and "Turtle Eyes Wide Shut?" Many suggested that the little crawlers could be planning world domination and needed to be stopped soon. "They are clearly plotting against us," and "In my unscientific opinion, we need to nuke them as soon as possible because obviously they are planning something." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hartlepool: If You Were Born Between 1945-1974 You Could Be Eligible For This British Seniors Undo "Today, we are going to address the speedy turtles in our group. You can't walk over 000.5 mph. Got it? 🐢" commented one. "I guess they are deciding who will be their president in the water. The middle one looks the perfect candidate 😂" added another. What are the turtles doing? Image credits: X/@AMAZINGNATURE Based on various research , certain turtle species are known to exhibit social behaviours where they gather and move in groups due to factors such as habitat, food availability or mating rituals. Thus, what could be happening in the video could be a social interaction or a mating ritual, depending on the group the turtles belong to.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
How inclusion debate led to cancellation of Polari Prize, Britain's LGBTQIA+ book award
The Polari Prize, Britain's most prominent literary award dedicated to LGBTQ+ writing, will not be awarded in 2025. What should have been a moment of celebration for queer authors has become one of the most divisive cultural debates in recent British literary history. The controversy began when the 2025 longlist included Earth, a novella by Irish writer John Boyne. Best known internationally for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Boyne has in recent years become a polarising figure. A gay man, he has spoken openly about his own experiences of abuse and the long struggle to come to terms with them. On gender issues, he has publicly described himself as a 'TERF' (trans-exclusionary radical feminist), defended JK Rowling's interventions on gender identity, and argued that the rights of cisgender women must take precedence when they conflict with the rights of trans women. Boyne insists this position arises from his belief in universal human rights and from what he sees as a duty to defend women's hard-won protections. Critics, however, view his stance as exclusionary and harmful to trans people, and argued that his inclusion in a prize meant to celebrate LGBTQ+ lives was incompatible with the spirit of the award. His presence set off weeks of protests, withdrawals, and public argument, culminating in the prize being cancelled altogether. Founded in 2011 by journalist Paul Burston, the Polari Prize was named after Burston's literary salon and is dedicated to works that explore LGBTQ+ experiences. Although modest in scale compared to prizes such as the Booker or the Women's Prize, Polari has always carried symbolic significance, especially for debut authors and independent publishers. Its winners have often spoken of the prize as transformative for their careers, making this year's collapse all the more striking. For some queer readers and writers, Boyne's inclusion is irreconcilable with the mission of a prize dedicated to LGBTQ+ lives. The longlist announcement quickly drew responses. Author Sacha Coward, nominated for Queer as Folklore: The Hidden Queer History of Myths and Monsters, withdrew, writing that they could not 'continue in good faith.' Jason Okundaye, also longlisted, described Boyne's views as 'abhorrent' in a Guardian article, saying he felt 'misled about the principles underpinning the organisation.' In the following days, withdrawals escalated. Sixteen authors and two judges stepped aside, and an open letter condemning Boyne's inclusion was signed by around 800 writers and publishing professionals. Rowling, however, came to his defense calling him a 'talented writer and thoroughly decent human being' who was being slandered by 'tinpot tyrants': This makes me both sad and angry. An incredibly talented writer and a thoroughly decent human being (the two are by no means synonymous, as we know) traduced by tinpot tyrants without an ounce of his talent or integrity. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 19, 2025 As the withdrawals mounted, Polari's organisers issued a series of public statements. On August 7, they defended the longlist, stating that 'even within our community, we can at times hold radically different positions on substantive issues.' Four days later, with tensions rising, they released a second statement acknowledging the 'hurt and anger' caused and apologising sincerely, while still maintaining their position. By August 19, however, the situation had become untenable. In their third and final statement, organisers announced that the 2025 prize would be cancelled altogether. 'The prize has been overshadowed by hurt and anger,' they admitted, calling Polari 'a tiny operation' reliant on goodwill and limited resources. They promised reforms, including a governance review and the addition of more trans and gender-nonconforming judges, and pledged to relaunch in 2026. Boyne himself responded at length, first in statements on social media and later in an essay in The Telegraph. In his open letter, he expressed frustration at what he saw as a campaign to erase him from queer literary culture. 'For six years, since the publication of My Brother's Name is Jessica, I've been the focus of an extraordinary amount of bullying and intimidation, not just at the hands of trans activists but also by a small group of toxic novelists,' he wrote. He also reiterated his views on trans rights, 'My views on trans rights have never changed and they're quite simple: All human beings should have the same rights, but if the rights of trans women come into conflict with the rights of what you call 'cis' women, then the latter must take precedence. There's 4 billion of them, after all, and it took them 2,000 years to achieve even a semblance of equality. That's pretty much my only thoughts on the subject.' To those who had withdrawn in protest, he said, 'You may have meant well. You may have thought you were doing an honourable thing. But you forgot one crucial fact. That the novelist you're protesting, and the novel you tried to exclude, is part of a sequence about sexual abuse from a gay man who endured that very trauma at school, was denied justice because my abuser died in the months leading up to the trial, and is still coping with not getting my day in court. And how do I cope? By writing books like Earth.' In the same letter, Boyne expressed the toll of the backlash, describing 'endless harassment at the hands of both strangers and fellow writers.' He admitted to moments of despair, writing, 'I came very close to the edge this week because of endless harassment. I remained silent throughout but there's been a few moments where I thought it would be easier not to go on. There's really only so much abuse one person can take. However, I'm still here. Because I have too many books in me that I still want to write. And so do all of you.' I've remained silent over the last week with regard to the @PolariPrize as I wanted to get my thoughts in order. Many thanks to all the people who've contacted me with messages of support. This is all I have to say, and all I will ever say, on the subject. -JB — John Boyne Books (@JohnBoyneBooks) August 14, 2025 Boyne also argued that the authors most harmed by the controversy were the debut writers who had been robbed of the opportunity to win the Polari Prize. 'When I published my debut novel in 2000, I would have given my left arm to find myself on a prize list,' he wrote. 'It seems absurd and wrong to me that so many debut writers are losing their opportunity for this, either through misguided ideas about who I am or because they too were bullied or intimated into withdrawing. I love fiction, I love literature, and I've always supported new writers through reviews and blurbs, so this alone weighs on me.' Speaking to The Telegraph, Boyne described the prize's cancellation as 'an interesting example of self-cancellation' and said organisers had never contacted him directly. He also insisted that he would have voluntarily withdrawn Earth had it been enough to save the prize. The collapse of the Polari Prize has left the community grappling with unresolved questions. For some, the decision not to platform Boyne was a necessary act of solidarity with trans writers and readers who felt harmed by his words. For others, excluding him represented an abandonment of artistic merit and a narrowing of space for disagreement within queer culture. The episode has also underlined the vulnerability of small literary institutions. A larger, better-funded prize might have been able to withstand the storm, but Polari, dependent on volunteers and goodwill, could not. Organisers have promised that the prize will return in 2026, with stronger structures and broader representation among its judges. Whether it can rebuild trust, and whether it can strike a balance between inclusivity and free expression, remains to be.
