World porridge-eating contest to return to Corby

A breakfast-themed competition that played a role in the 1969 mission to the moon is coming back.

The world porridge-eating contest will be part of the Highland Gathering in Corby, Northamptonshire, next year.

The event was held in the town in the sixties and featured in the daily news update given to the Apollo 11 astronauts.

The gathering has been slimmed down to make it easier to get the funding it needs.

On 18 July 1969, Bruce McCandless at Mission Control in Houston updated the crew of the Apollo 11 moon mission on significant events of the day.

There was news of hosepipe restrictions in parts of the USA, an extension of a tax increase and some baseball results.

The "and finally" item was the outcome of the world porridge-eating championships in Corby, a victory for John Coyle from Ireland who consumed 23 bowls in 10 minutes.

Astronaut Michael D Collins suggested that his colleague Buzz Aldrin should enter the championships as he had consumed 18 bowls during the journey.

More than half-a-century later, the event will make a come-back during Corby's annual Highland Gathering, as reported in the Evening Telegraph.

A Scottish company has agreed to supply the oats and the prizes.

It will be part of a slimmed-down gathering which organisers hope will be easier to fund.

Mark Pengelly, who chairs the organising committee, said: "Everybody always says 'let's go back to how it was before'. If we went back to how it was before we would have to find £70,000 worth of funding.

"But we can run a games, we believe, which is a good, fun two days of things going on."

Mr Pengelly said the committee was hoping to bring back some of the traditional features, such as the pipe band and highland dancing competitions.

He has also been talking to a Viking re-enactment group who could recreate a Scottish battle.

"We need funding, we need to find around £16,000 to £17,000. The more sponsorship we get, the lower gate price we can have."

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