There are many things in life that we take for granted. A tap will work or a kettle will turn on. Another would be if you run down a 1 in 3 gradient hill you going to be perfectly fine when you reach the bottom of it. Hang on? Is that last one, right? Must be the cheese rolling at Coopers Hill.
In Gloucestershire there is an event that runs unofficially every year. It is so unofficial that the police close off the road of the A forty-six so that the unofficial event can unofficially continue without, in all probability ,causing a major traffic accident. The St Johns Ambulance are there unofficially as well apparently. Why have I used the word unofficial for the last two sentences? I shall tell you, the cheese rolling event is one that the Health and Safety executive would not touch even if they had a ten foot barge pole.
There is something mystical about running down a hill at full speed. The wind in your hair the view from the top and then the earth rising up the meet you as you smack into it, or the sight of your dislocated leg wrapping itself around your head. What luck then that waiting at the bottom should be the kind gentleman of the Brockworth Rugby club to catch you before you end up in the garden of someone’s house. Of to the Accident and Emergency you go. Residents of Gloucester know that a trip to the Royal infirmary on the last bank holiday in May is a waste of time unless you like waiting for a long time in hospitals. Many people from the local area such as the residents in www.parkhomelife.com/our-parks/orchard-park who offer Park Homes Gloucester way are aware of the publicity and attention that this event brings.
What is the point? Well many will point to the cheese. It a fine Double Gloucester, accept it was now it’s a bit of wood made up to look like cheese and the winner gets the real one. This year’s winner is more of a cheddar fan so that’s renders it a bit pointless. The answer of course is no one knows. Its tradition seems to be the only answer and maybe well just have to chalk it up to one of those weird Spring things that people in this country do. If a bunch of macho Rugby players and thrill seekers don’t run down this hill the crops will fail or something. When some says to you its for “ritual purposes” take that as code for we have absolutely no idea why we’re doing this but we’ll say that to try and legitimise it. I’ve never had a go myself but it is great source of pride to me when Logan Huntsberger mentions it in the Gilmore Girls. I doubt whether Matt Czuchy has had ago either.
