The Cornish Cloud Catching Contest

By Martin Sercombe

In the small village of St. Just, nestled among the rolling hills of Cornwall, there is an age-old tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. Every year, at the village fete held in late summer, the old men of the village gather to compete in the Cornish Cloud Catching Contest.

The rules of the contest are simple: each participant must bring their own wheelbarrow and attempt to catch the biggest cloud they can find. The clouds must be caught using only the wheelbarrow, and the winner is the old man who catches the largest cloud, as judged by a panel of local farmers and meteorologists.

The contest takes place in a large field outside the village, where the sky is open and the clouds are big and fluffy. The old men arrive early in the morning, armed with their trusty wheelbarrows and a keen eye for the sky. They scan the horizon for signs of approaching clouds, watching for the telltale signs of size and density that might indicate a winner.

As the day wears on, the old men trundle their wheelbarrows across the field, chasing after the clouds that drift lazily overhead. Some clouds prove elusive, slipping from the wheelbarrow as it passes underneath. Others are more cooperative, settling gently into the waiting barrow with a satisfying whoosh.

The crowd gathers around the contestants, cheering and shouting encouragement as they jostle for position. The atmosphere is lively and festive, with music and dancing, food and drink, and the smell of freshly baked pasties wafting through the air.

At the end of the day, the judges gather together to weigh and measure the clouds. A winner is declared, and the village erupts in a chorus of cheers and applause. The winner is hoisted onto the shoulders of his fellow competitors and carried through the village in triumph.