Programme of events
The Festival is very much a whole village affair and lasts throughout the day. Early arrivals can check out the breakfast baps/butties from either The Normandy Arms or The George Inn or just grab a beer and await the crescendo of activity leading up to the procession through the village.
Fancy dress is strongly encouraged – irrespective of whether you're entering the wormcharming competition or just spectating. The theme for 2011 is forests, trees and all things woodland - in recognition of this being the International Year of Forests. The fancy dress competition is free to enter and there will be prizes for the best themed outfits.
Everyone musters outside The Normandy Arms from 11am and things will get underway from about 11.30am with live music. Wormcharming teams must register at Worm HQ before midday. Be warned - anyone arriving with a fluid of any description to use in the wormcharming competition will be invited to sample some of it themselves. This is done to ensure that no-one is using irritants of any description.
Once the teams have registered, it's time to parade through the village - lead by the Blackawton Morris dancers. At The George Inn, the procession pauses for a spot of May Pole dancing from the village children and everyone is invited to 'Toast the Worm' with their drinks. Then off we go again down - or it could be up - to the secret field to get the competition underway.
Lots of other things are happening throughout the day - with live music from 11am until 11pm.
The George Inn is hosting a Beer Festival and a full afternoon/evening of live music - check out the details by clicking on these links - programme of artists performing and the list of Beer Festival ales. Food will be available throughout the day - starting with breakfast baps/butties and followed by a ram roast , BBQ and salad bar.
Bacon and egg baps will also be available in the morning at The Normandy Arms. Here, there will also be live music and a lunchtime BBQ.
Blackawton Allotment Association will be running a cafe at the Village Hall throughout the day. For more information, click here.
There will be stalls & street traders (inc. cakes/buns, WI, wormcharming T-shirts and commemorative badges) and other distractions throughout the village, another ram roast at the Village Hall, a raffle and various other fun activities. Raffle tickets can be purchased from Worm HQ. Raffle prizes are on display in the Village Hall – check to see if you have won! Prizes can be collected from the Village Hall after the Worm Charming competition.
How many "Woodies" are there in the village ? The entry fee for this competition is just 50p - with 50% of the takings going to the winner. So, if all 200 entry forms are sold, that's a handsome £50 for the winner. Not sure what a Woody is ? Check out our "Merchandise" page.
During the course of the evening, when it is judged that customers have consumed sufficient to not care how much they bid, an auction of select lots will take place at The George Inn.
Timetable for the day
| From 11.00am | Gathering at The Normandy Arms - with live music. Breakfast baps/butties available at both pubs. |
| By 12.00 noon | All entry forms to be handed in at Worm HQ (Village Bus Stop) |
| 12.30 | Announcement of team names & plots and charming substance tasting!! |
| 12.45 | Parade to The George Inn led by Blackawton Morris Dancers. |
| 13.00 | Toast to the Worm and May Pole Dance. The Nauti Buoys play live ! |
| 13.15 | Parade to the Secret Field. |
| 13.30 | International Festival of Worm Charming competition. Fancy dress competition winners are selected during the competition. |
| From 13.30 | Ram roasts at the Village Hall & The George Inn. Beer festival, live music and BBQ at The George Inn. Lunchtime BBQ at The Normandy Arms. |
| Evening | Auction at The George Inn. |
