Hundreds of people flocked to Willaston Primary Academy for the 47th annual Willaston World Worm Charming Championships.
The quirky event, which has become one of Cheshire’s most unusual traditions, has been hosted in the village since 1980.
It was originally devised by former Willaston County Primary School deputy headteacher John Bailey, who wrote the competition’s rules and fashioned the first “Rampant Worm” trophy from materials he found in his shed.
The day began with lively dance and singing performances from pupils of Willaston Primary, who entertained the crowds before the serious business of worm charming got underway.
Following the traditional inspection of the plots by the International Federation of Charming Worms and Allied Pastimes (IFCWAP), competitors gathered around their allocated 3m x 3m plots for the start of the sold-out contest.
Deputy headteacher Mark Sykes led a countdown from 10 before participants began their 30-minute worm-charming challenge.
As always, competitors employed a range of techniques in an attempt to coax worms to the surface.
Traditional methods such as twanging garden forks proved popular, while others experimented with bouncing balls, raking, table tennis bats, tennis racquets and an assortment of musical instruments including drums, tambourines and even a trumpet.
One inventive contestant used a handheld massage device in an effort to vibrate worms out of the soil!
The championships once again attracted international attention.
Visitors included a group of YouTubers from southern Italy, Alan from New York Public Radio in the United States, who was recording material for a future podcast, and social media creator James whose Instagram account documenting unusual traditions has amassed more than 125,000 followers.
Among those attending was filmmaker Hermione Spriggs, who is researching a documentary exploring the relationship between sound, vibration and worms.
Her project compares Willaston’s famous championships with “worm grunting” in the Florida Panhandle.
The event also welcomed Millie Searing, a final-year graphic design student at Manchester University.
For her final degree project, Millie created “Vermiculture”, a magazine dedicated entirely to the world of worm charming.
The publication, which featured an interview with local worm-charming legend Mike Forster, was exhibited at the Manchester School of Art degree show.
Away from the competition plots, visitors enjoyed a packed programme of family entertainment including a prize raffle, charity and trade stalls, a penalty shootout, inflatable attractions, face painting, sand art, and a variety of food and drink outlets.
Representatives from Richmond Villages handed out free worm-themed cakes and branded drinks cups.
The company also donated a refrigerator to Willaston Primary Academy and a Fortnum & Mason hamper for the raffle.
Numerous local charities and community groups were represented throughout the day, including 2nd Willaston Brownies, Cheshire Scouts, Willaston WI and St John Ambulance, which provided hands-on CPR demonstrations for visitors.
A popular attraction was the tombola stall organised by Mike and Lynda Forster in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
The Forster family began fundraising for the charity after their son William was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a baby.
William attended Willaston School and regularly took part in the championships.
Following his death at the age of 31, the family have continued their commitment to raising awareness and funds for the charity.
Entertainment included performances from AJT Dance and Fink Theatre Academy, while local community radio station The Cat 107.9FM kept the atmosphere lively with music and announcements.
Once the worms had been counted, headteacher Joanna Wright announced the raffle winners, then revealed the championship results.
Third place went to Karl Buckley in Plot 23 with 115 worms, while Michelle Gower claimed second place in Plot 36 with 159 worms.
This year’s world champions were the team from Plot 60, who charmed an impressive 164 worms.
Sienna Beavers, Archie Clarke and their grandfather Peter Clarke, from Willaston, stepped forward to collect the coveted trophy.
After lifting the gleaming trophy, Sienna and Archie, both Year 6 pupils at Willaston Primary Academy, said: “We’re really pleased to win. We’ll defend our title next year.”
The world record remains untouched and is still held by Sophie Smith, who charmed an extraordinary 567 worms during the 2009 championships when she was just 10 years old.
All worms were safely returned to the ground after dusk, once the birds had gone to roost, bringing another successful World Worm Charming Championships to a close.
Watch a video of the event via YouTube:
(Story and photos courtesy of Jonathan White)
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