Worm charmers travel to Cornish championships

Worm charmers from across the UK are expected to take part in a championship in Cornwall, organisers say.

The 2024 Falmouth Worm Charming Championships are taking place at the Dracaena Centre on Sunday with teams of up to four people given 30 minutes to entice worms from a 10ft by 10ft (3m by 3m) plot of land.

Organisers said trophies would be given for the most worms charmed, the most inventive worm charming technique and for the longest worm.

Event founder Georgia Gendall said the worms were charmed by vibrations to the ground.

She said the vibrations enticed the worms to the surface as it replicated rain.

Ms Gendall said: "If it's good soil, then there should be worms, but that's all part of what the worm charming is about - understanding our soils, understanding the importance of worms.

"So in some ways, it is like a soil health check that we're doing and just trying to understand a bit more about where worms are and what they're up to."

The competition has been held since 2021 and Ms Gendall said last year's main winners managed to charm 20 worms, which was a record for the event.

Ms Gendall said musical instruments were allowed to be used. She said in the past brass had performed well for the charmers, due to the tones they produced.

However, she added a lot of the success was down to luck.

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