Good times at the Ely Eel Festival. Running since 2004, it lacks some of the historical oomph of the Mari Lwyd (1800) or the Burryman (pre-1687) but we all start somewhere.
The eel throwing was well attended and competition was stiff, but I took to it like an eel in water, which is a real phrase. Since the majority of contestants were either small children or adults who didn’t want to look like they were trying too hard, I think with a little practice I could have really blown those suckers away. Except the children, who I would have graciously allowed to win.
Previous years have featured a town crier competition. My outrage at its omission this year is unbounded.
They had a big tank of demonstration eels. Apparently, they scoop them out of the river for the festival and dump them back when they’re done, which I imagine from the perspective of an eel is pretty close to alien abduction.
Living in a city, working a remote tech job, and regularly eating food from hundreds or thousands of miles away, it feels like I’m missing that connection to my surroundings that the Eel festival celebrates. It was nice to enjoy it for a day, even if it was in someone else’s town, celebrating someone else’s eels.
Verdict: pretty good, could actually have used more eels.
