Latest news with #cheeserolling
BBC News
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Gloucestershire in pictures: Cheese roll prizes and countryside
The cheese rolling races may be fading in the memory but their legacy lives on in Ariel Dempsey (above) was finally awarded the Double Gloucester wheel she won in the uphill race, after the prize went another winner on the day donated her prize to a good cause that helps the weather has been that good old English mix of sunshine and showers, but that hasn't prevented some lovely sights in this beautiful county of ours. Delightful daisies: We're always blown away by the small, beautiful hidden corners of Gloucestershire. This photo in particular was a favourite for us this week as it seems the perfect place for a picnic in Edge. Oh come all ye faithful: A familiar sight on matchdays, Gloucester fans heading to Kingsholm. This photo was taken as they made their way to the stadium for the final time this season. Wheelie thoughtful: A wheel of Double Gloucester won in the annual traditional cheese rolling races is to be served up to rough sleepers in north London. Ava Sender Logan, 20, managed to bag the 7lb (3kg) cheese in the women's race at Brockworth. Borderlands: The Wye Valley can be a beautiful place to be on a sunny day, with multiple hikes mapped out through the forests and fields on either side of the river. Dinosaurs take over Gloucester: Luckily, they're just statues... Dino-ROAR weekend is a chance to take a look at these dinosaurs up, close and personally in the centre of the city. Soak up the sun: Whenever and wherever you can! We love this photo captured by our weather watcher 'Santa Susie' which shows off Berkeley in the most beautiful light.
BBC News
05-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Gloucestershire cheese rolling prize is served to rough sleepers
A wheel of Double Gloucester won in the annual traditional cheese rolling races in Gloucestershire is to be served up to rough sleepers in north Ava Sender Logan, 20, managed to bag the 7lb (3kg) cheese in the women's race last month by tumbling down the almost vertical Cooper's Hill in London student, who has donated her "delicious" prize to the Refugee Community Kitchen, said she is "really happy people can try it".Sam Jones, the charity's co-founder, said: "We are deeply indebted to Ava for putting her life and limbs on the line to get the cheese." The Refugee Community Kitchen supports displaced people in northern France and homeless people in London and Edinburgh. Miss Sender Logan, who volunteers for the kitchen, said donating her prize cheese was a "full-circle moment". "It's really sweet," she said."The cheese has travelled from Gloucestershire to Oxford to London to the kitchen."The biochemistry student, who was the fastest down the 1:2 gradient, said she did not remember most of her downhill journey, and was stunned when she won."I was trying to hold my head, stay on my feet as much as I could, but there's only so much you can do," she said."I was bruised, I was battered but there were no broken bones." The charity, set up by four friends in 2015, has served thousands of meals in London and Calais over the last 10 Jones said up to 90 people in and round Archway in London will be able to "scoff" on the winning cheese wheel."It's a really nice kind of full circle to have the cheese that rolled down the hill, the Double Gloucester that's going into a cauliflower and broccoli cheese that's going out to the street," he said."It really fills us full of joy and satisfaction to be able to do that." The Gloucestershire cheese-rolling races have been held for centuries and are thought to have their roots in a heathen festival to celebrate the return of Hill's is one of Gloucestershire's steepest slopes. The cheese can reach speeds of up to 70mph as it is chased downhill by the year, there were seven races in all, two of them in memory of former cheese rolling winners who have since died.
The Independent
05-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Food charity benefits from Gloucestershire cheese rolling race winner's prize
The winner of an annual cheese rolling race in Gloucestershire has donated her prize to a food charity in London. Ava Sender Logan, 20, who won the women's race by tumbling down Cooper's Hill in Brockworth last month, was racing for Refugee Community Kitchen, which supports displaced people in northern France and homeless people in London and Edinburgh. The biochemistry student beat 25 other female contestants to win an 8lb (3kg) wheel of Double Gloucester, a semi-hard cheese renowned for its strong and savoury flavour. Miss Sender Logan, who volunteers for Refugee Community Kitchen, said it was a 'full circle moment' to see the winning cheese being used to help feed rough sleepers in north London. Miss Sender Logan told the PA news agency: 'It's a full-circle moment. It's really sweet. The cheese has travelled from Gloucestershire to Oxford to London to the kitchen. 'The cheese is delicious, so I'm really happy people can try it.' Miss Sender Logan, who was a first-time competitor in the annual daredevil competition, said she was stunned when she won. 'I was trying to hold my head, stay on my feet as much as I could, but there's only so much you can do,' she said. 'I was bruised, I was battered but there were no broken bones.' Refugee Community Kitchen distributes hundreds of meals a week and has won a number of prestigious awards, including the Observer Food Monthly's outstanding achievement award. The charity, which was set up by four friends in 2015, has been serving 'nutritious food without judgment' to those fleeing war, poverty, persecution and climate change for a decade. Co-founder Sam Jones said: 'It's a really nice kind of full circle to have the cheese that rolled down the hill, the Double Gloucester that's going into a cauliflower and broccoli cheese that's going out to the street today. 'We've got about 85 to 90 people that will be scoffing that up in Archway in north London. 'It really fills us full of joy and satisfaction to be able to do that. We're deeply indebted to Ava for putting her life and limbs on the line to get the cheese.' Mr Jones said he hopes Miss Sender Logan's support will help raise awareness of the work the charity does. 'We've served four and a half million meals in London and in Calais over the last 10 years, so we're just really chuffed to have people on board to do this amazing fundraising and to raise awareness of our charity,' he said. The Gloucestershire cheese-rolling race has been celebrated for centuries and is thought to have its roots in a heathen festival to celebrate the return of spring. This year, there were seven races in all, two of them in memory of former cheese rolling winners who have since died.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Gloucestershire cheese-rolling champion finally gets prize
A PhD student who made a last-minute decision to take part in a cheese-rolling competition has finally been given her missing edible Dempsey was at a meeting with her supervisor in Oxford when she realised that, if she left at that moment, she could arrive at Cooper's Hill in time for the women's downhill Gloucestershire cheese-rolling Dempsey then also competed in the uphill race, only to win but not be awarded her cheese, as it had been left in a volunteer's Wakeman, master of ceremonies, presented Ms Dempsey with her cheese on Monday, a week after her win. The centuries-old event sees competitors chase 7lb (3kg) Double Gloucester wheels down Cooper's Hill near Dempsey, who is from the US state of Michigan, arrived at the hill as the women's downhill race started and threw her belongings to a 33-year-old said it was "joyful" to run down Cooper's Hill, but she then faced the prospect of collecting her belongings."They called an uphill race and I decided that might be a good way to get up the hill fast and, sure enough, I won it," she her prize could not be found, some initially suspected the cheese had been stolen. All was later revealed when the wheel was discovered in a volunteer's fridge. Jem Wakeman has been explaining the rules to competitors and starting the races as master of ceremonies for more than 10 about this year's event, he said: "It was very good to watch from the top - there's been lots of facepalms and some good fliers."Everyone does it at their own risk. I've done it myself and been injured, it's part and parcel of the game."Two people had to be taken to hospital from this year's event, which took place on 26 races are labelled "unsafe" by the local authority and are classed as an extreme sport.
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Try and stay on your feet, if you fall do an army roll... Cheese-rolling winner reveals tips for success in Britain's most adrenaline-inducing race
A former Cheese-rolling champion has shared his tips for success at Britain's wackiest and most adrenaline-inducing race. Chris Anderson, 37, is something of a legend in Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire, having earned a place in the Guinness World Records for his cheese-chasing triumphs. Having stepped back from competing, he now offers advice to competitors on how to stay safe. It comes after a competitor in last week's annual competition was airlifted to hospital, and another was carried away on a stretcher. A video from the event captured the terrifying moment one competitor, dressed as a wizard, came flying down the huge hill before slamming into the ground. Reflecting on the race, Anderson told The Guardian: 'It's risky, there is no doubt about it. You've just got to be able to try and stay on your feet as long as possible and lean backwards so you can stay in control of yourself.' He said that it is better for competitors to stay in control rather than going flat out for speed. If you fall, the best bet is to do an army roll and then get back on your feet as quickly as possible, the former military man said. The event challenges people to pursue a 3kg Double Gloucester cheese rolling down the steep 200 yard hill, though has also prompted safety warnings in recent years. Hundreds of people have been gathering at Cooper's Hill to watch the occasion that is thought to have its roots in a pagan festival celebrating the return of spring. Competitors chase the cheese down the 180m-high hill, with many tripping and tumbling on their way - only to pick themselves up and resume the pursuit. The first runners to catch the cheese, which can reach speeds of up to 70mph, are declared victors in various races across the event that dates back to the 1800s. Anderson believes mid-20s is the ideal age for competitors, blending fitness with a bit of experience. But being an adrenaline junkie is also crucial. The 23-time winner of the event suggested that anyone taking part should visit the site before the event itself. He said that many willing competitors turn up on the day to run the race and pull out after viewing the hill for the first time. Now a ground worker for the event, Anderson had his preferred route down the hill, avoiding a tricky hollow. He grew up in Brockworth where the event is held each year and witnessed the race every year since he was young. He admitted that in his teenage years he and his friends used to go up the hill and 'push each other down'. In 2004, Anderson finished second place aged just 16 and vowed he would return to win the race in the future. Wasting no time, he won the event the following year, but broke his ankle when he fell in a hole while celebrating. Anderson returned to win the event another 22 times, becoming a local legend of the event. In 2022 he retired after breaking the record for the most wins. It is not known when the race was first run, but it is thought to date back for hundreds of years. The event is now a global phenomenon which attracts visitors and viewers from all over the world. Rebel cheese rollers have been staging their own unofficial event after health and safety fears caused the official competition to be cancelled in 2010. This year's event prompted a safety warning from the local ambulance, police and fire services, who warned they could be overwhelmed if there was a 'mass casualty incident'. But it went ahead as planned, with Tom Kopke, a 23-year-old YouTuber from Munich, retaining the title he won last year. Luke Briggs won one of the men's contests dressed in a Superman costume - while first-time racer Ava Sender Logan, 20, from London, was triumphant in the first women's event before admitting she did not even like cheese. She told of not remembering most of her downhill tumble, but said of the occasion: 'It's such a cool tradition.' Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson from Gloucestershire Police has previously described the event as a 'unique tradition', adding that the force had 'no desire to stop it'. But officers said they had a duty to tell the public the local Tewkesbury Borough Safety Advisory Group had declared it unsafe, raising concerns about the potential strain on emergency services. The advisory group is made up of multiple agencies, including emergency services, who work to promote safety and welfare at events. Members have told of concerns about how officials could respond if there were a major incident, after ambulances struggled to access the site in 2023. The winner of that year's women's race was knocked unconscious at the finish line and only discovered had won after waking up in a medical tent. The tradition could be given an official honour by being added to a UK heritage list. The Government is asking the public to nominate their favourite traditions that best reflect Britain, to be recorded in a new Inventory of Living Heritage in the UK. Other traditions in the same county such as surfing the Severn Bore and Woolsack Races in Tetbury have also been touted as potential contenders for the list, with heritage minister Baroness Twycross saying last month: 'The UK is rich with wonderful traditions.' The history of Cooper Hill's Cheese-Rolling event The ceremony originally took place on Whit Monday, but was later moved to the Spring bank holiday. The first evidence of cheese rolling is found in a message written by the town crier in 1826. But even then, the writing suggested it was an old tradition, believed to be about 600-years-old. Two possible origins have been proposed for the event. Some believe it may have evolved from a requirement for maintaining grazing rights on the common, while others believe it has pagan origins from the custom of rolling objects down a hill. It is understood that bundles of burning brushwood were rolled down the hill to represent the birth of the New Year after winter. It is also believed to have links to a traditional fertility rite where buns, biscuits and sweets are scattered from the top of the hill by the Master of Ceremonies (the official host). This in turn encourages the fruits of the harvest.
