(m&d Spoiler)-Victims of cheeses malevolent

[Paul M]

> (Slight M&D spoiler follows below:) 
> 
> I should be used to it by now but
> 
>  this
> 
> 
>        kind
> 
> 
>             of thing
> 
> 
>                     still seems
> 
> 
>                         to  get
> 
>   
>                                to me 
> 
>            
>                                        somehow:
> 
> Reluctantly put aside my M&D (Chapt.16)for my daily dose of back in blighty 
> Murdoch style and am left shivering despite the heat. "Twenty people were 
> injured today in a cheese rolling contest in Cooper's Hill, Gloucestershire" 
> went Sky News, "including one person who was struck down and hurt by A 
> PARTICULARLY LARGE DOUBLE GLOUCESTER". There followed footage of several 
> modest cheeses and not so modest individuals rolling unceremoniously down 
> said grassy hillside, plus an interview with the local fire chief 
> congratulating himself that " in all the years I've been overseeing this 
> event, we haven't had a singular fatality." I didn't catch the actual weight 
> and I don't think they were talking tons here this time but...
> 
> Now I (now) know this is apparently an annual event, but it's the first time 
> I personally can recall having seen it covered on national tv news.
> 
> Incidentally, is there anyone from Gloucs. on the list who has witnessed 
> this event, or better, taken part? 
>                                 
>                                 d.j. 
> 
I can't claim too have taken part (tho' my uncle was once champion at 
this event) but I've seen it a few times - the cheese is about two or 
so foot across(not ten alas) and protected by a wooden case, so it would hurt if you 
collided with it. Safety precautions are pretty rudimentary - 
consisting of the local Rugby team trying to catch people as they 
come down as there is a stone wall at the bottom of the hill. 
Incidently this is not the sameas the Cheese Rolling  Pynchon 
describes - that takes place at Randwick about fifteen miles away and 
is an altogether tamer affair that occurs pretty much as Pynchon 
describes it - though when I saw it the cheese was not quite of such 
large proportions, sadly. I don't know the origins of the Randwick 
chhese-rolling bot the Coopers Hill rolling has been going on for at 
least 100  years without a break and apparently has too do with 
claiming grazing rights on the local comman land.

Anyways I'm off to see the relatives soon so perhaps I can pick up a 
few hot tips. And if there's any background on the area, I can collect 
for the mass discussion let me know.



 
Paul M.                 tallpaul at hiatus.demon.co.uk
"You have no expectations until you come face to face
with what you're looking at, and then everything about you
says 'I wasn't expecting this' "
Ann E Imbre Spoken In Darkness"