Charismatic

Guess the prefix to these words, Charming, Fiddling, Calling, Snoring, Grunting.

No, it is not my name although many may feel it would be a perfect match.


It is in fact "Worm" and relates to the practice of trying to tease wiggly worms to the surface, originally to collect a supply of bait for fishing but since at least 1980 forming a sport with its own regulatory body and a World Championships.

The modern competitive era has been tracked back to a school fete in the English County of Cheshire which is located in the wet, temperate North West of the Country.

An inspired head teacher, looking to raise funds, promoted an event whereby participants were given a small patch of the school field and encouraged to charm, fiddle, call, snore and grunt any lurking worms over a 30  minute period and the winner being the person or persons attracting the highest number.

The first winner, a young lad called Tom Shufflebotham romped away with a grand total of 511 worms in the allotted half an hour. That tally remained as a sort of unofficial world record until 2009 when a 10 year old girl, as part of 3 person team, managed 567 worms.

That achievement made it into the authoritative publication of the Guinness Book of Records and I believe remains unbeaten since.

The popularity of, shall we refer to it as just Worm Charming, led to the creation of The International Federation of Charming Worms and Allied Pastimes and the formulation of 18 Rules.

These are as follows;

Each competitor to operate in a 3 x 3 metre plot.

Lots to be drawn to allocate plots.

Duration of competition to be 30 minutes, starting at about 2pm.

Worms may not be dug from the ground. Vibrations only to be used.

No drugs to be used! Water is considered to be a drug/stimulant.

Any form of music may be used to charm the worms out of the earth.

A garden fork of normal type may be stuck into the ground and vibrated by any manual means to encourage worms to the surface.

Garden forks to be suitably covered to prevent possible injury when being transported to and from the competition. No accidents please!

Each competitor to leave his/her fork in allocated plot on arrival.

A piece of wood, smooth or notched may be used to strike or 'fiddle' the handle of the garden fork to assist vibration.

Competitors who do not wish to handle worms may appoint a second to do so. The second shall be known as a 'Gillie'.

Each competitor may collect worms from his/her own plot only.

Worms to be handled carefully and collected in damp peat and placed in a suitable, named container provided by the organising committee.

A handbell to be rung about five minutes before the start of the competition.

Competitors to keep clear of competition plots until given the instruction "Get to your Plots".

The competitor who 'charms' the most worms to be the winner.

In the event of a tie, the winner to be decided by a further five minutes charming.

Charmed worms to be released after the birds have gone to roost on the evening of the event.

A most comprehensive and humane set of rules indeed!

It is interesting to see the standardisation of the method of charming being a four pronged fork and a piece of wood, typically 15cm's long and referrred to as "Twanging".

In other parts of the world, for the eccentricity often attributed to the English is actually found amongst other nations, additional methods include the rubbing of a metal bar over the sticky out end of a wooden stake, sawing a sapling and even insertion and use of a chainsaw into the ground. Some have danced to the theme of Star Wars and played the guitar but of course not within the official guidelines.

There are many Worm Charming Events every year in the UK, all strongly competitive and fun even if in the name of charitable benefit. Many participants form a team of three comprising a Charmerer, Pickerer and Counterer . There have been slack years for the number of worms coaxed out and in 1986 the World Champion only managed 40 and in 2010 the victorious Twanger had 43. The events are taken very seriously even to the extent of preparing to take part in the process known as "Worming-Up".

So what is the mesmerising or apparently mystic influence on the subterranean worms of the varied methods?

There are a few theories. Perhaps the most persuasive is that the man made vibration sound, to a worm (however they sense such things), is similar to that made by a fast approaching and hungry Mole, a main predator. A further explanation is that the worms mistake the sound for rain and make quickly for the surface to avoid being waterlogged in their burrows.

Whatever the actual reason for the emergence of worms from relative sub-soil safety this has not gone unnoticed to fishermen and indeed seagulls, the latter often observed stamping their feet to summon up a snack.