Hundreds of people attended the 46th Willaston World Worm Charming Championships in the grounds of Willaston Primary Academy yesterday (June 21), writes Jonathan White.
Festivities began with an official plot inspection by the International Federation of Charming Worms and Allied Pastimes (IFCWAP).
Willaston Primary deputy headteacher Mark Sykes led the countdown, sending participants to their plots for the 30-minute worm-charming window.
Contestants in traditional family plots and rotating team slots had to charm as many worms as they could from their 3×3 metre patches.
A quirky mix of charm and creativity was on full display.
From the classic ‘twanging’ of a garden fork, to bouncing footballs, pogo sticks, skateboards, and even a fishing rod with a fake worm, everyone had their own techniques.
Musical instruments added to the fun, with a didgeridoo, trombone, pom pom drums, and tambourine heard throughout the arena.
Chris White, dressed as a giant earthworm, serenaded the soil with his banjolele, performing hits like “There’s a Worm at the Bottom of My Garden”, “Whispering Grass”, and “You Raise Me Up”.
During the event there was a summer raffle, charity and trade stalls, a coconut shy, penalty shootout, inflatable slide, bouncy castles, sand art, face painting, fairground ride, and delicious food and drink outlets.
A host of local charities took part, including Cystic Fibrosis Trust, The Friends of Willaston School Association (FWSA PTA), Commodores Performing Arts, Audlem & District Community Action, Shop Local Nantwich, Autism Inclusive, and St Luke’s Hospice Cheshire.
Willaston Primary Academy pupils wowed the crowd with their dance routines, while Commodores Performing Arts performed a showcase blending movement, theatre, and skill-based choreography.
Local community radio station The Cat 107.9FM kept spirits high with music and PA announcements throughout the day.
The Cat is celebrating its 10th anniversary of broadcasting from its Crewe Campus studio at Cheshire College – South & West, and now streams across FM, DAB, online, and smart speakers 24/7.
And the day was captured by a TV crew from ProSieben, a major German TV channel, as well as journalists from Huck Magazine and CrossCountry Trains.
Once the worm-counting was complete, Headteacher Joanna Wright took to the microphone to announce the winners.
In third place, with 48 worms in plot 125, were the Bateman family.
The Baxter family came in second with 62 worms in plot 81.
But the day belonged to the Thomasson family of Willaston, who scooped the Championship Trophy with an impressive 71 worms in plot 144.
After three decades of trying, the Thomassons finally triumphed, attributing their success to tapping garden forks with rubber mallets to mimic the sound of rainfall.
Watch a video of the event, below:
As tradition dictates, all worms were safely released after dusk, once the birds had gone to roost.
The World Worm Charming Championships began as a community fundraiser, founded by Gordon Farr, John Bailey, and Mike Forster.
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