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Five Unusual Events in East Anglia
Local traditions continue to thrive across the world, and East Anglia is no exception. The counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex have more than their fair share of unusual events, including two world championships.
If you are thinking of moving to East Anglia, here are five of the quirkiest, courtesy of Hamiltons Removals. We have been helping people with commercial and domestic removals for more than a quarter of a century and are based on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, in the heart of the region.
The World Snail Racing Championship, Norfolk
Congham, near King’s Lynn, hosts an annual world championship in the unusual sport of snail racing. The event has formed part of this north-west Norfolk village’s annual fete for around half a century, after founder Tom Elwes first witnessed a race in France.
To help the competitors on their way, the course is only 13 inches in length and the going is officially ‘moist’. as the race is held on a damp tablecloth. The champion receives a tankard stuffed with lettuce.
The World Pier Crabbing Championships, Norfolk
The North Norfolk coastline is one of the best places in the world to catch crabs, and the Cromer variety is a famous delicacy. The resort’s association with this crustacean is celebrated with another annual world championship, held every August. Competitors try to catch as many as they can, or the biggest one, and you can enter either as a team or an individual.
Maldon Mud Race, Essex
This race is held over the bed of the River Blackwater every year – originally in winter, but the date has now been moved to spring. It all started in 1973 when a regular at a local pub was challenged to serve a meal on the riverbank dressed in a dinner jacket. This evolved into a race across the river’s thick mud to a barrel of beer on the other side, at which point you were supposed to drink a pint of it and race back.
The beer has disappeared, but the race remains, with hundreds of people being happy to get stuck in, raising thousands of pounds for charity in the process.
The Race of the Boggmen, Suffolk
This started out as an annual contest between the farmworkers of Great Finborough and Haughley. In the late 19th century, a landowner had to choose between two teams drawn from each of these Mid Suffolk villages and decided the best way to settle it was with a race. The first person to make it from Boyton Hall to the Chestnut Horse pub in Great Finborough was declared the winner.
These days the race is still held between teams drawn from the two villages, but local charities and good causes are the real winners.
Somerleyton Bun and Penny Day, Suffolk
On February 14, the younger residents of this north Suffolk village are just as likely to be thinking of buns as Valentine’s cards. This is because every year on this date – or on the school day nearest to it – the pupils at Somerleyton Primary School visit the village’s impressive Hall.
Once there, they are welcomed by the Lord and Lady of the Manor and are expected to sing traditional songs such as sea shanties, often with their own musical accompaniment. As a reward, they each receive an iced bun and money – which these days means a 50p piece.
The tradition is thought to have started in the 1840s, when Sir Morton Peto owned the Hall. No one is sure about the reasons behind it, although one theory is that he wanted to thank all the children who had worked in the fields over the summer.
Moving to East Anglia with Hamiltons Removals
Hamiltons Removals can help you if you are thinking of moving to East Anglia, whether it is for commercial or domestic reasons. We offer a comprehensive service which can include packing your belongings, specialist removals and insurance.
If you need to store some items during the course of your removals to Suffolk, Norfolk or Essex – perhaps because you are downsizing and haven’t decided which items to get rid of – then we can assist you there as well. We have two self-storage units, on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, at Harleston and Aldeby. Here you can keep large and small items in complete safety, as both sites are covered by CCTV cameras.
If you would like to get in touch or learn more about any of our services, you can either follow this link and fill in the online form, or call us on (01379) 855203. You can also email us.
Five European Countries Where English is Widely Spoken
If you are thinking of moving house to Europe, one of the main things to consider is whether you need to master a new language. Hamiltons Removal have been helping people move to countries across the continent for more than a quarter of a century. Here, we look at the countries where English is among the most widely spoken languages.
The Netherlands
When considering domestic or commercial removals to the Netherlands, then you won’t need to worry about the language, as nine out of every 10 Dutch people over the age of 15 speak English well. Learning the language is compulsory at school, and pupils are required to pass an English test before they can graduate high school. Popular culture helps too – Dutch TV doesn’t dub English-language TV programmes into their native language, relying on subtitles for translation instead. This ensures people are fully exposed to the language.
And Holland has always been a trading nation – so the early entrepreneurs learned the language in order to compete on the global market. The Dutch also top the English Proficiency Index compiled by global language training company English First.
Denmark
This country is second in the English Proficiency Index, just pipping its near neighbours Sweden. The latest figures show more than 85% of all over-15s can speak the language fluently. As in the Netherlands, it is a compulsory subject at school, and the small class sizes help pupils master the subject quickly.
Finally, the English and Danish languages are both Germanic in origin (this applies to Swedish and Norwegian as well). This means they share many individual words, and rules of grammar such as sentence structure.
Sweden
More than eight out of every 10 Swedes can speak good English. As well as being encouraged to learn it at school, the country’s residents also have a taste for travel. The average Swede spends more than £1,000 a year on foreign holidays, which inevitably exposes them to different cultures, including English.
Malta
Nine out of ten residents of this Mediterranean island can speak English as well as Maltese. Prior to it being granted its independence in 1964, Malta used to belong to the British, and it is still part of the Commonwealth today. Both English and Maltese are official languages – the Government conducts its business in the two different tongues, and primary school pupils learn both alongside one another. However, English is usually spoken with an accent similar to Italian.
Cyprus
While the official languages of Cyprus are Greek and Turkish, more than seven out of ten people here speak English as well. This Mediterranean island, which became part of the EU in 2004, also used to be a British colony, and road signs, public notices and advertisements are all still written in English. The country also has a sizeable expat community from the UK who have retired to the island.
Removals to Europe with Hamiltons Removals
Hamiltons Removals are specialists in commercial and domestic removals to the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Malta and Cyprus. In fact, we can help if you are moving house to any part of Europe, including France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Austria.
We can provide you with a dedicated package, or a groupage service where your belongings form part of a larger consignment. Our friendly, professional staff will pack, load and transport your goods to their new destination, and we can deal with large or unusual items as well. If you would like to know more about our European removals services, follow this link or call us on 01379 855203.