By Rachael Grealish

Tommy Mattinson clinched his eighteenth victory at the World Gurning Championships, a win that was marked with recognition and awards from Guinness World Records.

Following a four-year hiatus due to COVID and the death of Queen Elizabeth II Egremont Crab Fair and World Gurning Championship came back with a three-day celebration between Friday, September 15 and Sunday 17.

On Saturday, September 16, the iconic Gurning Championships took place in Egremont Market, and peopled poured in, filling the venue, for the return of the facial gymnastics competitions.

Tommy Mattinson returned to defend his title, after previously winning in 2019, and he told The Herdwick News was ‘ecstatic and overwhlemed’ to have won for the eighteenth time.

He sad: “I feel ecstatic and overwhelmed, just so happy to have won. It’s great to be back after COVID and the death of Her Majesty. But, no matter how many times you win you want to win that competition on the night.

“I’m just chuffed to bits, and tired, it takes a lot out of you, you don’t event realise,” he added.

Craig Glenday, editor in chief at the Guinness Book of World Records was at the event to present two awards – one to the committee for the longest running gurning competition and one to Tommy to update the 52-year-old’s world record.

Speaking about the award Tommy told The Herdwick News: “It feels bloody amazing to have been given the Guinness World Record, to have it updated in the book, what a night, just what a night.”

Not only did Tommy walk away with the win and the world record, but he was awarded with the Gordon Blacklock memorial trophy. The longtime gurner passed away in 2020, but had competed alongside Tommy for decades in the competition.

Tommy gave an emotional speech talking about his work and friendship with Gordon and said: “Gordon was a great gurner, a great friend, we toured and gurned together – it was amazing. I really miss him this year, I always turn around and Gordon’s always there at the back so it’s been surreal to not have him there.”

Throughout the evening there was also a junior talent contest, horn blowing, hunting and comedy songs, the Junior World Gurning Championships and the Ladies World Gurning Championships, all before culminating to the final event of the evening, the World Gurning Championship.

Claire Lister returned to reatin her title as Ladies World Gurning Champion, taking the title for the seventh time saying it feels ‘amazing’ to have won again and will definitely be back next year.

Not only did Claire take a title, her daughter, Kendall Lister was joint winner of the Junior World Gurning Championship alonside youngster, Isla Alexo.

Following the return of the world’s oldest fair, the chairman of the Crab Fair committee, Callum Scott told The Herdwick News it’s been ‘fantastic’ to be back with such a bang.

He said: “It’s fantastic, we’re all so delighted to be back and with how the day and the weekend has gone. We’ve had such a fantastic turnout, even with the weather and we’re just over the moon.”

Talking about being presented with a Guinness World Record ,Callum added: “Now it’s official it’s amazing, we didn’t know until ten minutes before they arrived we’d be receiving the award so it’s quite a shock – but the biggest shock was the amazing reaction from the audience.”

If this wasn’t enough excitement for the evening, the Market Hall was buzzing with camera crews as Nish Kumar and Josh Widdecombe were in attendance to film their Sky show, Hold The Front Page.

Both comedians took part in the gurning and had plenty of jokes while on the stage. When asked what he’d be thinking while pulling his face, in jest Josh said: “This is the worst moment of my life.”

Nish has a similar joke as he said: “My whole life has been leading to this moment.” Neither comedian placed, but pulled some great faces.