The 2008 Event Results & Report

The 2008 Cheese-Rolling at Cooper's Hill Gloucester was held on Spring Bank Holiday Monday. 
The program of events commenced promptly at 12:00 Noon

A view from the top of Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire, where the famous Cheese-Rolling takes place.
This picture is taken from the start point of the race, and the finish is visible below. The actual running surface of the hill is concave, and hence cannot be seen from this point. The incline is 1 in 1 in places!

If you have pictures, or experiences of the day that you would like to share,  please email them to the webmaster for publication on the web site.

Spectators gather at the edge of the top of the Hill

RACE RESULTS 26th MAY 2008 EVENTS
Race results will be updated as soon as possible after the winners are verified.

GUEST ROLLERS
Our thanks to the guests invited to roll cheeses for the down-hill races who were:

 

DOWNHILL CHEESE ROLLING RACES

RACE 2	12:20	Prize	Cheese Rolled By: Keith Morris (Treasurer)
	1st.	The Cheese	Peter Mackenzie-Shaw (Hereford)
	2nd.	£10.00	Ryan Fairley
	3rd.	£5.00	Chris Rampton
Mark Cooper gets a special mention for an excellent picture Mark is on the right of the picture (Under the Cheese!)	4th.		Last year I was forced to take part in an unofficial event as I came to late. (Finishing 3rd in 2007) This year I was in the 2nd race of day, sadly I only managed to come home in 4th place. The reason of my email is to say thank you to the organisers and the St John Ambulance at the event. As after I had walked off the hill to rejoin my friends who had been having a great time watching myself and other people fall head over heels all day long, I noticed that I had quite a big hole in my knee.
He spent 4 days in Gloucester Royal Hospital			I spent the next 2 and half hours with the St John Ambulance medics where they patched me up before helping me to Gloucester Royal Hospital, where sadly I spent the next 4 days having 2 operations under general anesthetic to have the wound in my knee cleaned out of mud and stitched back up. Even though I had this time in hospital, I WILL be back next year to win that cheese. Mark Cooper Birmingham

RACE 3 (LADIES RACE)	12:40	Prize	Cheese Rolled By: Pat Wakeman
	1st.	The Cheese	Flo Early (Sheepscombe, GLOS) "Next year I want to take on the boys."
	2nd.	£10.00	Carly Johnston
	3rd.	£5.00	Blythe Jopling

RACE 4	13:00	Prize	Cheese Rolled By: David Field
	1st.	The Cheese	Craig Fairley (Brockworth, Gloucester)
	2nd.	£10.00	Ben Tippett
	3rd.	£5.00	Jamie Lee
			TV's Rory McGrath came last, comedian and actor Paddy McGuinness came second last. After taking several tumbles, McGrath, 52, who lives in the Cotswolds, said: "I think my low centre of gravity counted against me."

Introduced in 2006, due to enormous demand and due to the increase in competitor numbers, this year we will again an additional race - Race 5! 

RACE 5	13:20	Prize	Cheese Rolled By:  Graham Craigie (SARAID)
	1st.	The Cheese	Wade Sansom (Australia)
	2nd.	£10.00	Jon Spriggs (Australia)
	3rd.	£5.00	Hugo May

Jean Jefferies, author and illustrator of: 
Cheese Rolling in Gloucestershire - The Paperback

Personally signed and dedicated copies are available at the event & interviews may be arranged.

Lost Property
A Camcorder was found at the bottom of the hill, near to the Commentary / Press Compound, rather wet and muddy, but now drying out.
If you have lost a Camcorder please email us by clicking this link (Identification will be required).

Competitor & Spectator Comments

Please note all times are approximate and depend on circumstances on the day
UP-HILL RACES (These are run between the downhill races)

Boys Under 12 yrs		Up-Hill Race
	1st.	The Cheese	Charlie Read from Hillesley, GLOS
	2nd.	£5.00	Nick Morris from Cooper's Hill (he was first last year)
	3rd.	£5.00	Luke Chappell from Hawkesbury Glos

Girls Under 12 yrs		Up-Hill Race
Members of SARAID assist one of the younger climbers, she made it all the way to the top with their assistance. Member of SARAID taking the quick way back to his post.	1st.	The Cheese	Jasmine Hart from Cheltenham  (She won it last year)
	2nd.	£5.00	Flora Lonie from Haywards Heath, Sussex
	3rd.	£5.00	Emma Winder  (She was second last year)

Mens Open Race		Up-Hill Race
	1st.	The Cheese	Simon Smith from Dursley, GLOS  (He was second last year)
	2nd.	£10.00	Peter Maxwell from Bristol
	3rd.	£5.00	Paul Gallagher from Donegal

Women's Open Race		Up-Hill Race
	1st.	The Cheese	Jo Singer from London
	2nd.	£10.00	Lucy Singer from Oxford (Her sister)
	3rd.	£5.00	Rosalie Darien-Jones from Dursley

Following heavy rain on Sunday, Monday morning arrived to find the ground on the hill had softened considerably. There was light rain from early morning, and a chill wind (15 MPH gusting to 40MPH from the North East pegged temperatures in single figures.

The first of the thousands of Spectators arrived in wet and windy conditions at the Car Park:

The two pictures above show the condition of the top entrance to the car park at 10:45am.
There has been much discussion and concern in the local media as the car park access was closed off at approximately 12:30.

Premature Car Park Closure
 The car park had to be closed at just after 12.30, with approximately 900 cars parked.
The appalling weather conditions resulted in serious deterioration of the ground leaving nowhere safe to park.
The decision was therefore taken, on the grounds of safety on the site, to close the car park long before the event had ended.

The Cheese-Rolling continued as per program & concluding at about 14:30.

It would appear from comments in the local press and elsewhere, from people who had been turned away, that they were told (allegedly by the police or other authority), that the event was over. 
This information, if indeed it was given, was not correct, the event was still running as per program in spite of the worsening weather conditions.

The last official race was due at 13:20, but due to medical emergency cover requirements, could not start until a little later (possibly 13:30 or soon after), after a casualty had received treatment.

Many, now regular, but unofficial "Fun Runs" followed the official program, so it is probable that the last runners left the slopes at as late as 14:30. 
(I do not have an exact timing on this, but would welcome confirmation from anyone taking pictures with time stamps - Webmaster).

Severe Traffic Congestion in the area on the A46, A417 and other local roads.
The premature closure of the Official Car Park caused considerable congestion due the many hopeful spectators still arriving at the now closed car park, as there was no suitable alternative.

You may well take the view that this was deliberate mis-information by the authorities in an effort to clear traffic from the area, rather than have people driving around in an effort to park elsewhere and still attend, though somewhat late.

(I personally have confirmed reports of spectators parking at Birdlip and walking to the Cheese Rolling! - Webmaster)

Further congestion on the A46 was caused by traffic avoiding an incident on the M5 Motorway between junctions 12 and 11A.

The refreshment facility halfway to the hill was irresistible to some!

Spectators take their place behind the fencing

The hill awaits the first competitors.

 
As the event started the rain became heavier and persistent and by the start of Race 5 the rain was really heavy, driving and cold!

Shane Beard, from Brockworth, one of the competitors in the First Race said: 
"The conditions were horrific, you just have to get your head down and hope for the best.

Is this a good time to reconsider?

The bottom of the hill was already muddy before the first event, 

by the end of the races it was a mud bath!

The starters compound at the top of the hill was taking the full force of the wind and rain!

The conditions were little better at the press compound at the foot of the hill, but there was shelter from the wind.

Don't they feel the cold?

Spectators were estimated at 2500, a little less than previous years, no doubt the weather forecasts of heavy rain and low temperatures will have made some reconsider attending this year.

The spectator fencing has this year been moved in a little, away from the trees and this has resulted in better viewing conditions for the public on the sides of the hill.

Great care is always needed when finding a good spot on the Hill.

Time, before the races to meet friends and socialise.

.... and have some nice cold iced lollies?

Local runners as usual achieved placings in the days events, there were competitors from surrounding counties too.
Australia featured strongly in race 5, taking First and Second places.
Celebrities competing included TV's Rory McGrath came last, comedian and actor Paddy McGuinness came second last.

Much entertainment was provided by a very energetic film crew who came in from Brazil just for the event.
The white suited anchor man eventually being involved in a good natured mud pie fight at the foot of the hill, before being dragged through the, by this time, deep mud. His only concern was for the safety of his Radio Microphone, so that he could continue presenting for his show.

Fewer costumed runners this year, but some made the effort:

The mouse is with the TV crew from Brazil, here just for the cheese rolling.

The "Cheesy" Spectators were there as usual.

A special mention for Lucy McCormick, who sent in the following two pictures:
"It was our joint stag and hen do" (Mandate: attend most surreal event possible dressed as a squid).
Most surreal? They have won that one then surely?

They are squids in there!

But just one question - How did they get to be so clean?

The Anchor man from Brazilian television almost stayed white until the end:

Before being dragged through the mud in some high spirited celebrations at the end of the event.
(He managed to keep his microphone clean to the very last - What a professional.)

The catchers, all volunteers are kept busy all afternoon with both the official races and the fun runs, they are there to ensure a "safe landing" for the runners most of whom need help in stopping.

Two runners were stretchered off during the official races, Christopher Anderson, 19, in the First Race and another competitor in the Fifth Race.

St. John Ambulance report that 4 people were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
They didn't expect the injuries to be serious!
In all, St John Ambulance volunteers dealt with 19 injuries.

There were many tumblers and fallers, the lack of injury was due much in part to the soft conditions on the hill, there were of course a few bumps, bruises and grazes.

There was mud, but it was good mud, our mud!

The main casualty was the muddy clothing, no-one came down clean!

They left looking for water to shower themselves off before going home!

The car park was a testament to the conditions, with many items of discarded (very muddy) Clothing left behind after the cars had left!

Josh and Melissa however were clean to the end, how do they do it? 

The festivities concluded with many impromptu downhill "races", no prizes, but just for the glory of having run down the infamous hill. Some people were so elated by the experience, they were seen returning again to the top of the hill for another run. Among these runners, there were a few who proved to be both fast and skilful, maybe they will be back next year to compete in the main races for the cheese. Some minor injuries were received during these runs, no doubt due in part to the lack of experience of the "runners".

One runner caused concern to the spectators for a while after falling at the finish line:

St John Ambulance Brigade were present in force and were quickly at his side, he was stretchered away.

St John Ambulance play a major part in ensuring the safety of the event, providing treatment when needed to the competitors. 


In addition to providing assistance to the runners, they also provide medical care treatment and assistance to the thousands of spectators, three fully equipped ambulances were on hand and the staff are trained and able to treat anything thing from simple scratches and bruises to broken limbs and heart attacks.

Information about St John Ambulance Brigade event first aid cover

Do you need event cover?
When large crowds gather for public events there needs to be first aid cover to ensure peoples safety and well-being. Our volunteers are trained in advanced first aid and lifesaving skills and attend thousands of events each year.
In the event of an accident or illness occurring, our volunteers' skills are vital in preventing further harm and saving lives. They provide essential support until the emergency services arrive.

For S.A.R.A.I.D. this was perhaps a one of their easier years, after climbing to strategic positions on the Hill they were able, for the most part, to watch the events unfold. 

They undoubtedly get the best view and first The Cheese and then the runners thunder by. The Double Gloucester cheese is estimated to reach 70 miles per hour, taking approximately 12 seconds from top to bottom!

We should not forget however, that without S.A.R.A.I.D. the event could not be run, as their task in the event of an injury on the Hill, is to recover the casualty to the foot of the Hill where St John Ambulance members would be waiting to treat the injuries.

Information about S.A.R.A.I.D - Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters.

S.A.R.A.I.D is a British charity dedicated to trying to save the lives of innocent victims of disaster as well as relieving human suffering around the world regardless of colour, creed, religion and political persuasion. Staffed entirely by volunteers and funded solely by public donations, S.A.R.A.I.D is on call 365 days a year, always ready to provide trained Search and Rescue personnel, free of charge to any country in need of assistance. 

When disaster strikes, time is of the essence. It is therefore essential that the S.A.R.A.I.D. team is well trained, well equipped and able to deploy quickly to the site of any disaster around the world. By limiting the size of the Rescue team, S.A.R.A.I.D. can move swiftly to the scene of the disaster and provide a comprehensive and effective service to those in need. S.A.R.A.I.D. numbers can then be bolstered by utilising local resources, knowledge and man power to maximise our effectiveness on scene.

 For more information about S.A.R.A.I.D. please tour the S.A.R.A.I.D. web site.

Sunday morning and the rain has started, temperature has fallen to 8.5 degrees Celsius!
The top of Cooper's Hill is shrouded in low cloud, the construction teams work on, the work has to be done, the hill has to be ready for Midday Monday!

Richard Jefferies, Committee Member and Commentator is interviewed by ITV west before the event.

Huge bales of straw arrive for the construction of the Media & Press Compound. The Media & Press Compound gives a superb view of the hill, protected from the cheese and runners by the strong bale wall! The commentary box (Trailer) is ready.

With the advent of chargeable media and press passes this year, the opportunity was taken to improve the facilities for the crews. Media attending were from several countries, including Brazil Holland and Australia plus of course the local media, such is the reputation and popularity of the event.

The usual protective barrier of straw bales was built, creating the "Press Compound". Within the compound, scaffold staging was erected to provide an elevated, firm base with safety rails for the cameramen to work from. 

The reduction of the number of people having access to the press compound enabled the media to have more working room for the interviews etc.
    

With the arrival of Sunday evening, preparations are completed, the hill is transformed, all is now ready for the great day!

Why not bring a picnic and enjoy a whole day at the Coopers Hill Local Nature Reserve:
(Maybe enjoy some of your hard won cheese?)

The Present Master of Ceremonies Rob Seex – dairy farmer of Upton-St-Leonards.

Location
(O.S. SO888147)
(N51:49:51 - W2:09:50)
(UK Postcode GL3 4SB)

There is a field, on the hill, that is set aside for parking on the day. You are asked NOT to park on the main A46 road.

BBC Local Weather Forecast for Gloucester including Coopers Hill

Latest Weather Satellite Image (Visible)     Latest Weather Satellite Image (Infra-Red)     Latest Rainfall Radar

Recent local weather conditions have been dry, with little precipitation, but during wet weather, the entrance to the car parking field can become very muddy.
 Please check here for information before arriving at the event by car, especially if the weather conditions have been poor in the week running up to the event.

Spring Weather 2008 - Latest Forecast from the UK Met Office

Since 1988, the cheeses have been hand-made by Mrs. Diana Smart of Churcham, using milk from her herd of Brown Swiss, Holstein and Gloucester cows.  

Diana Smart of Churcham, is the only person in Gloucestershire now making Double Gloucester cheeses by hand, using traditional methods.

The Double Gloucester Cheese Explained - The Single Gloucester Cheese too!

Your Video Clips.
Please send your special Video Clips of the day to: The Webmaster Cheese-Rolling at Cooper's Hill, wherever possible these will be included on the site.

Your Photographs.
Please send your special pictures of the day to: The Webmaster Cheese-Rolling at Cooper's Hill, wherever possible these will be included on the site.

Your Comments and experiences of the day
What are your memories of the day? We would welcome your comments and opinions too!

A note on future events.
All the costs of running the event, providing safety equipment, insurance, the purchase of cheeses and provision of prize money comes only and exclusively from the takings of the official car park (£5 per car) - that is the one up on the hill and accessed from the lane up to Copper's Hill and the Cheese Rolling.

For those of you who used the official car park, we sincerely thank you for your contribution to the event, and hope that you had a most enjoyable day. With your continued support the event will continue, it has to, we cannot fail this tradition!
Webmaster   

The festival was originally held at midsummer but was moved at some time to Whitsuntide, taking place on Whit Monday.

In 1967, the Bank Holiday was moved from the Church's Whitsun Festival to become a 'Spring Bank Holiday' to be on the last Monday in May each year.

The 'Cheese Rolling and Wake' was also moved to that day.

Webmaster - Last Edited 26-Feb-2010 11:31:46 avsglos

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