10/04/2026
On Easter Monday, the village of Hallaton in Leicestershire fills to a degree that would alarm a fire marshall. Thousands descend on a village of fewer than 400 residents; locals, diaspora returnees, and the chaos-curious pack the streets for a tradition that predates anyone’s ability to explain it properly.
I seem to gravitate towards these anarchic events, having recently been to another end of the UK to witness Shetland’s Viking fire festival Up Helly Aa
What follows in Hallaton is Bottle Kicking: part medieval riot, part sporting event. Two teams, Hallaton and the neighbouring village of Medbourne, attempt to move small wooden “bottles” (actually iron-hooped barrels) across their respective streams, a mile apart.
There are no formal rules, no referees, no time limit, and no upper limit on participants. It simply goes on until someone wins.