WORMS are back on the menu in Blackawton tomorrow –— where the village’s wacky worm-hunting festival has turned into a community fun day.
Virtually every one of the 500 villagers takes part in the eccentric worm charming festival, from the local allotments society to the Women’s Institute. If they are not out with the hundreds of worm hunters trying to ‘charm’ the wrigglers out of the ground, they are busy manning stalls to raise cash for charity. This year’s festival involves a beer festival, live music throughout the day and various fundraising stalls set up from one end of the village to the other. Spokesman Nick Smith said: “There is a huge village involvement. It’s a village day. Everyone from the allotments society, the WI and the Friends of Blackawton School — they all have the opportunity to raise money for their own causes.” Last year the festival raised £2,500 which was split between the Devon Air Ambulance and various local charities and that did not include the money raised by the various individual fundraisers. A record total of 300 contestants took part in the worm hunt and another 500 people poured into the village to watch.
A German TV crew even turned up to make a documentary about the annual event.