Excerpt from the book 40 Humourous British Traditions. Is British humour your cup of tea? Britain has many well documented, yet strange traditions. This book describes 40 more traditions in a similar vein, all of which are less well known. Get ready for interesting characters, thought-provoking ideas, and strange events – all of which are fiction!
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There are no limits to the size of the cheese being carved, but the rule about eating the discarded crumbs does put off most people from bringing larger pieces of cheese to carve.
In 1973, the UK joined the EEC and the organizers decided to allow people to carve cheeses from the other countries of the EEC including France and Italy. The Camembert contest was particularly messy and no prize was awarded that year as no-one could create a recognizable carving. Indeed no award has ever been given in this category – the nearest there’s ever been to success was in 1998 when Jacques Jacquard attempted to carve a Camembert cheese that had been placed in a freezer 48 hours prior to carving time. Jacquard created a beautiful rendition of the Eiffel Tower, but sadly it dissolved into a creamy mess before the judging started. Jacquard accused Elliott Dibble of aiding the reheating process using a hairdryer and there was a brief scuffle. From this time, grooming products and pre-frozen cheeses have been banned from the contest.
Julian Worker Fiction Writing 