Hallaton Bottle Kicking and Hare Pie Scramble

"A Leicestershire village fills its gardens, drives and lamp posts with over a hundred themed scarecrows each August Bank Holiday, inviting visitors to walk the trail and vote for their favourite over three days."

Desford Scarecrow Festival

"The self styled Rural Capital of Food throws its October festival around the pork pie and the Stilton, with one of the largest gatherings of artisan cheesemakers in the country."

Melton Mowbray Food Festival

"A free Christmas Folk Trail strings live acoustic music through the pubs and tea rooms of a Leicestershire market town across a full December weekend."

Melton Winter Festival

"The village of Heather, Kings Award winner, goes cheerfully insane each August as gardens fill with hundreds of scarecrows depicting celebrities and topical characters, all competing for votes from the crowds who walk the trail with a guide booklet."

Heather Scarecrow Festival

"A free and friendly folkie takeover of 13 atmospheric venues with Morris dancing, sing-arounds and an outdoor market stage across the old market town."

Melton Folk Festival

"A Midlands agricultural show with over a century of tradition, combining cattle, sheep, horse and show jumping competitions with a family entertainment programme at its rural Leicestershire ground."

Ashby Show

"Possibly England's oldest continuous sheepdog trials, running since 1898 in front of Longshaw Lodge on the Peak District moors, where a special train once brought 700 spectators down from Manchester."

Longshaw Sheepdog Trials

"The Staffordshire County Showground organises district ploughing and hedgelaying matches each autumn, and the Eccleshall round draws competitors from across the county to farmland around one of Staffordshire's quieter market towns for a full day of working countryside skills."

Eccleshall District Ploughing and Hedgelaying Match

"A Northamptonshire village green, hundreds of competitors in silly hats, one conker on a string. The 61st running of the most earnest competition you will ever attend in a field."

World Conker Championships

"A vast rolling rugby scrum, the sway, pushes a leather hood to one of four pubs, a custom said to be 700 years old."

Haxey Hood

"Up'ards and Down'ards play a two-day game of football across three miles of town and river, goals set at old mills."

Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football

"A huge leather ball is fought over along Long Street for two hours, a Shrove Tuesday game dating to 1199."

Atherstone Ball Game