Conger cuddling
Encyclopedia
Conger coddling is a traditional event in Lyme Regis
, Dorset
, England
, in which a dead conger eel is thrown at members of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
(RNLI). Part of the town's "Lifeboat Week", the eel is attached to a rope and thrown at nine people standing on flowerpot
s in a manner similar to skittles
. There are two teams involved in a last man standing competition.
The event, which attracts around 3,000 people annually, was used to raise funds for the RNLI. It has been called the "most fun a person could have with a dead fish".
The event started in the early 1970s when Richard Fox, a retired publican, organised the first event. It became a tradition of the town, drawing numerous spectators. However, in 2006 the RNLI made the decision that the event was "inappropriate" after a complaint was made. When it was next held (28 July 2006) the eel had been replaced by a buoy
, but there are talks of a replacement, plastic eel being made for 2007.
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in which a dead conger eel is thrown at members of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
(RNLI). Part of the town's "Lifeboat Week", the eel is attached to a rope and thrown at nine people standing on flowerpot
Flowerpot
A flower pot or plant pot is a container in which flowers and other plants are cultivated. Historically, and still to a significant extent today, they are made from terracotta. Flower pots are now often made from plastic, wood, stone, or sometimes biodegradable material. An example of...
s in a manner similar to skittles
Skittles (sport)
Skittles is an old European lawn game, a variety of bowling, from which ten-pin bowling, duckpin bowling, and candlepin bowling in the United States, and five-pin bowling in Canada are descended. In the United Kingdom, the game remains a popular pub game in England and Wales, though it tends to be...
. There are two teams involved in a last man standing competition.
The event, which attracts around 3,000 people annually, was used to raise funds for the RNLI. It has been called the "most fun a person could have with a dead fish".
The event started in the early 1970s when Richard Fox, a retired publican, organised the first event. It became a tradition of the town, drawing numerous spectators. However, in 2006 the RNLI made the decision that the event was "inappropriate" after a complaint was made. When it was next held (28 July 2006) the eel had been replaced by a buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
, but there are talks of a replacement, plastic eel being made for 2007.
External links
- Photographs from Lifeboat Week at LymeRegis.com