Things to do outside London during August
My regular look ahead to events happening next month that would probably be in my events guide, if only they weren’t happening outside the psychological barrier of the M25 motorway.
If you like these monthly suggestions, then you might also like the latest book from fellow London blogger, Tom.
| Pickering Traction Rally | 1st-4th Aug |
| Steam rally and fair with music festival. | Malton, Yorkshire |
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| Gloucestershire Steam Extravaganza | 2nd-4th Aug |
| Steam Engines, Rural Crafts, Aircraft, Trade Stands, Animals & Rare Breeds, The wonderful Traditional Fun Fair and Vintage Transport and Machinery of every size, type and description you can think of. | Cirencester, Gloucestershire |
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| World Thumb Wrestling Championships | 3rd Aug |
| Jovial sporting event at a local pub with a huge following where contestants "arm-wrestle", but by only using their thumbs. | Lowestoft, Suffolk |
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| Prescott Speed Hill Climb | 3rd Aug |
| Around 250 Pre-war sports and racing cars will be in action over the weekend at the historic hill climb venue in Gloucestershire. | Gotherington, Gloucestershire |
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| World Hen Racing Championship | 3rd Aug |
| Held for 20 years, this is an annual sporting event where the hens have to race along a 20 metre race track. | Bonsall, Derbyshire |
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| The Steam Fayre & Vintage Vehicle Rally | 3rd-4th Aug |
| Gleaming engines, powerful steam engines, tractors and road rollers, vintage cars and motorcycles, fire engines, buses, commercial and military vehicles all on display. | Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset |
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| Cowes Week | 3rd-10th Aug |
| Up to 40 daily races for around 1,000 boats at the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world. | Isle of Wight |
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| Brigg Horse Fair | 5th Aug |
| It’s a traditional but unofficial forum for travellers to parade and trade their steeds in the time-honoured fashion, with hundreds of people going along to watch. | Brigg, North Lincs. |
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| Robin Hood Festival | 5th-11th Aug |
| A week long celebration of the legend of Robin Hood, it features entertainment for all the family. | Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire |
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| Egton Bridge Gooseberry Show | 6th Aug |
| The oldest surviving gooseberry show in the country, established in 1800. Gardeners enter their biggest gooseberries into one of four classes: red gooseberries, yellow ones, greens and white ones. | Whitby, Yorkshire |
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| Bristol International Balloon Fiesta | 8th-11th Aug |
| Annual festival of giant balloons, with their famous Nightglow, where 30 or more balloons will glow in time to music and fireworks on two evenings. | Bristol |
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| Shrewsbury Flower Show | 9th-10th Aug |
| Stunning floral displays, show jumping, medieval jousting, motorcycle displays, music, fireworks and special guest appearances. | Shrewsbury, Shropshire |
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| Whitby Regatta | 9th-12th Aug |
| Yacht racing, rowing races and various free forms of entertainment, finishing with a prize presentation and firework display. | Whitby North Yorkshire |
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| 12-Hour Lawnmower Racing | 10th-11th Aug |
| As the name implies, a whole night of endurance racing on powered lawnmowers. | Billingshurst, West Sussex |
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| International Birdman Festival | 10th-11th Aug |
| The Birdman is a flight competition for human powered flying machines held each summer. | Worthing, West Sussex |
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| Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival | 10th-18th Aug |
| Around 100 scarecrows appearing in gardens, open spaces, hidden corners and even on rooftops dotted around the village. | Kettlewell, North Yorkshire |
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| UK National Sandcastle Competition | 11th Aug |
| Annual event where teams compete to build the best and largest sandcastles. | Croyde Beach, North Devon |
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| Glasgow International Piping Festival | 11th-18th Aug |
| The world’s largest festival for bagpipe musicians. | Glasgow, Scotland |
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| British Fireworks Championships | 13-14th Aug |
| Two evenings of entertainment culminating in spectacular fireworks displays from six companies seeking the title of British Firework Champions. | Plymouth, Devon |
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| Eastbourne International Airshow | 15th-18th Aug |
| Three days of flying on Eastbourne seafront. The Red Arrows leading a packed programme of Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, British Army and civilian aircraft. | Eastbourne, Sussex |
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| Birdfair | 16th-18th Aug |
| Described as the birdwatcher’s Glastonbury, Birdfair encompasses the whole spectrum of the birdwatching industry whilst at the same time supporting global bird conservation. | Rutland Water, Rutland |
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| Race the Train | 17th Aug |
| Sporting event where runners try to beat a preservation train running along the rails by racing it along local roads and footpaths. | Tywyn, Wales |
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| Combined Ops | 17th-18th Aug |
| Over 300 military vehicles from just before WW2 to modern wars, along with aircraft, including aerial displays. | Maidstone, Kent |
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| International Lighthouse Weekend | 17th-18th Aug |
| Many lighthouses and places of associated interest will be open to the public, and there will be special events at lighthouses and lightvessels both at home and abroad. | Various |
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| Bosworth Commemoration | 18th Aug |
| The Society visits Bosworth for its annual commemoration of the Battle. A service is held in Sutton Cheney church to honour the fallen in the battle and is attended by Society members from around the world. | Bosworth, Leicestershire |
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| Orange Rolling in Totnes | 20th Aug |
| The odd spectacle of watching people race and chase oranges down a steep high street in Totnes, South Devon. The tradition reputedly dates back to the day Sir Francis Drake bumped into a delivery boy, causing him to spill his fast-moving fruit down the hill. | Totnes, Devon |
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| Brambles Cricket Match | 22nd Aug |
| An annual cricket match that is played on a low lying sand bank in Southampton Water that is only above water once a year. | Southampton |
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| St Bartholomew’s Bun Race | 24th Aug |
| Children run around the church of St. Bart’s and are given a bun especially baked for the occasion. The biscuit bears the date 1190 but it is more probable that the founding of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital was in 1217 to commemorate the defeat of the French in that year. | Sandwich, Kent |
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| The Burning of Old Bartle | 24th Aug |
| The ancient ritual of Burning Bartle takes place every year, when a larger than life figure is paraded down the village main street accompanied by repeated chants of the Bartle doggerel. When Bartle reaches ‘his end’ in Grassgill, he is set alight, accompanied by songs and cheers from the assembled masses. | Leyburn, North Yorkshire |
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| The Saddleworth Rushcart | 24th-26th Aug |
| Procession around the local area with a two-wheeled cart filled with rushes, in a slightly conical shape thirteen feet high weighing about two tons to the local Church. Some 150 men pull on the "stangs" fixed to strong rope which, in turn, is fixed to the cart. | Saddleworth, Yorkshire |
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| Treefest | 24th-26th Aug |
| Tree-discovering family activities, expert carvers, local music, food and over 100 exhibitors make up Westonbirt Arboretum’s summer event. | Westonbirt, Gloucestershire |
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| Military Odyssey | 24th-26th Aug |
| Said to be the largest collection of military re-enactors from ancient greek to modern times in mock battles and displays | Maidstone, Kent |
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| Cheshire Game & Country Fair | 24th-26th Aug |
| Two arenas have a full programme of events, with everything from scurry racing and fun sheepdog and ducks to majestic falconry and coordinated Gundog displays. | Knutsford, Cheshire |
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| Portsmouth International Kite Festival | 24th-26th Aug |
| Annual festival with everything from classic kites to modern inflatables. | Portsmouth, Hampshire |
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| World Bogsnorkelling Championships | 25th Aug |
| Annual "sport" which involves trying to swim through the marshy bog with just a snorkel for air supply. | Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales |
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| The Uffington White Horse Show | 25th-26th Aug |
| Annual country fair, with stunt horsemen, falconry in the shadow of the famous bronze-age chalk cut horse. | Uffington, Oxfordshire |
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| Shrewsbury Steam Rally | 25th-26th Aug |
| Over 1,000 exhibits will be appearing within the popular Rally area, covering 45 acres of parkland. In additon, olde-style fair and trade stalls. | Shrewsbury, Shropshire |
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| Bourton Football in the River | 26th Aug |
| A football match between six-a-side teams played in the middle of the shallow river, playing in usually knee-high waters. The event is over 100 years old. | Bourton, Gloucestershire |
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| World Gravy Wrestling | 26th Aug |
| A wild and whacky wrestling competition in a pool full of Lancashire Gravy. Contestants must wrestle in the Gravy for 2 minutes whilst being scored for audience applause, and various different moves. | Rossendale, Lancashire |
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