S is for Shin-Kicking

One of the great things about being English is pride in some of our quaint little customs. At the milder end is Morris Dancing, but then we go on to things like shin-kicking, an old custom, exceedingly painful, in which two men (though no doubt one day women will insist on joining in) kick each other's shins in the name of sport.

And then there's cheese-rolling (below), where crowds of people and a very large cheese hurtle down a hillside. I've never been entirely sure whether the people are chasing the cheese, or trying to escape from it (I could find out, but perfer to leave the question unanwered), but that too can apparently be dangerous, and one year the event was concelled because of "safety issues" (now there's a surprise).

There's another one, too, in which barrels of flaming tar are carried by people wearing cotton gloves. I bet Health and Safety have something to say about that. And then there's....

But you get my drift. I have no particular desire to partake in any of these activities, but I'm so very glad I'm English!