It's Health and Safety gone mad...............

There's a famous, well famous around the vicinity of Gloucester, annual event held every May Bank holiday at Coopers Hill, just outside Gloucester.

It's the annual Cheese Rolliing races, but actually it's not going to be annual this year!

The hill in question, is very, very, VERY, steep and access is via a hedgelined, narrow country lane that winds it's way to the base of the hill. There are ususally 4 or 5 ambulances waiting to cart the injured competitors away and they are kept very busy.

There are a number of "races" with competitors, with plenty of Cider on board, spread across the top of the hill, 15 to 20 at a time and the starter pushes a big circular Double Gloucester cheese over the edge and the runners charge then fall down the hill.

It is spectacular!

Members of local Rugby teams are at the bottom stopping some fo the competitors who are "out of control" from falling over the wall into the road at the bottom.

There are a number of broken limbs, unconcious and concussed competitors who are led off to the waiting amulances and it's a fantastic spectator sports.

But it's being banned this year.....by health and safety!!! But not because of the plethora of broken Tibia, Fibia, Collarbones and jaws,  but because there are too many spectators and the roads nearby may get blocked! Ridculous! The world has gone mad!

It's the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival this week and anyone who has ever tried to travel around Cheltenham racecourse when the festival is on will wish that the festival was cancelled on the same grounds.

I've been tothe Cheese Rolling at Coopers hill, only to spectate and it was a hidden bank holiday secret, but now it's been shown on TV as the funny bit at the end of the News or when Paddy McGuinness and Rory McGrath had a go (ok it was on Channel 5), the coverage has meant a massive increase in spectators, but to ban it because of that is not on!

You can even pay £45 and join a "tour" of the event!

Give Coopers Hill back to the Cheese Rollers!  What next, they'll be letting people surf the Severn Bore!!!