Here is the basic premise: You get a very steep hill in gorgeous Glocestershire. You get the local rugby team to stand at the bottom, arms out and ready to catch muddy people. You park some ambulances handily close. You get some mental men and woman to stand at the top. You get a cheese. After that it all gets a bit out of hand, but it’s a truly beautiful experience, as the 2009 video below attests. You can’t get more British than chasing dairy products down hills for absolutely no reason.
However, after a spate of broken limbs and cracked heads, the event has been officially cancelled. This is a sad end to something that has been held for over a century (with wooden cheeses chased during the war due to rations – possibly the most endearing war-time story I have ever heard). I count myself lucky to have been amongst one of the soaking, freezing, happy crowd at the rolling in 2008.
The official website ( Cheese Rolling ) cites inability to pay insurance costs as the reason for the forced cancellation of this lovely event. Nanny state, what are you doing? It’s a free country, if the good men and women of this isle wish to hurl themselves down precipices after Double Gloucesters, then the government should simply stand by (and provide ambulances).
xx Sian
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