June

Couldn’t get away this month? Did you just miss out on that last minute deal? God forbid, has another volcano erupted and your cruise was cancelled? Airline staff striking again? Well not to worry, there’s still plenty of weird and whacky things happening this month to keep you entertained in dear old Blighty that will see you through to your next cruise.

Midsummer Bonfires Cornwall

A chain of bonfires is lit one after another on hilltops from Lands End in the far South West to Kithill on the border with Devon in the East. They are a celebration of summer, lit on the eve of longest day (the evening being the start of the Celtic day).

Nettle Eating Contest Marsham, Dorset 13 June 2010

It's probably one of Dorset's most unusual events, but competitors come from all over the world. Welcome to the World Nettle Eating Championships - one hour of eating as many stinging nettles as your stomach can hold!
Held as part of a charity beer festival at the Bottle Inn in the village of Marshwood near Crewkerne, the event attracts entrants from around the world.
As the competition's fame has spread, nettle eaters from as far as New York, Australia, Northern Ireland and Belgium make the trip to West Dorset.

As the huge bunches of stinging nettles arrive, the competitors face one hour of munching their way through the leaves, and the winner is whoever finishes with the most two foot stalks, stripped of their leaves.

The rules
Not surprisingly, the rules are tight for this level of competitive nettle eating.
Only nettles provided by the organisers can be eaten, competitors are not allowed to bring their own, no mouth numbing substances are permitted - although a swig of beer in between mouthfuls is always encouraged.
And for spectators, it makes for a bemusing sight. Competitors have described their unusual bar meal as tasting like anything from "rancid salad with no dressing" to "a mixture of spinach and cow-pat".
Crucially, nettles can't be expelled from the body. In previous years, a competitor seemed to have victory in sight, only to see his efforts end up on the ground of the pub car park just minutes from the end of the competition.
A previous winner of the contest is Ed Brooks, a regular at the Bottle Inn. He won the contest by scoffing 48 feet of nettles and was thrilled with winning the title: "Oh it's tremendous, amazing... I'm a bit peckish though!".

Not quite as great as a cruise I’ll admit but hopefully it will keep you going till your next cruise sets sail.

Happy Cruising