This pig slaughtering Bacchus sounds fabulous fun for all the family. The cheese rollers of Stilton and gravy wrestlers of Lancashire surely need to take notes. Perhaps some new events like… Cheese Or Death?

If you notice a smell of blood in the air, don’t be alarmed. Unless, of course, you’re a pig. It’s Masopust, the local traditional incarnation of Carnivale dating back centuries, and cities, towns and villages across the country are putting together one hell of a party before “saying goodbye to meat” and hello to penitence come Ash Wednesday.