Radio 1's Greg James wants Dorset knob festival reinstated

Greg James said: "A year without knobs is not a year, in my book."

Radio 1 DJ Greg James is calling for Dorset's knob throwing festival to take place next year despite organisers saying it would be cancelled.

The annual competition to hurl the traditional biscuits is on hold as organisers need a new venue.

James told his listeners: "Surely we can help with this. A year without knobs is not a year, in my book."

After hearing the comments, festival chairman Ian Gregory said: "You could have knocked me down with a feather."

He added: "I wasn't a Radio 1 listener before, but I am now."

The Dorset Knob Throwing Festival, which began in 2008, moved to Kingston Maurward College near Dorchester in 2017, after outgrowing its original home of Cattistock.

Earlier this week, the college confirmed it would no longer be hosting the festival.

The one-day event incorporates a food festival, live music and knob-based games such as knob-and-spoon racing, splat the knob, knob darts and pin the knob on the Cerne Abbas giant.

Contestants also battle to eat a plate of the bun-shaped biscuits in record time.

On his breakfast show earlier, James said: "This is a huge part of the community. It was attended by 8,000 people this year. That's as many as the Teen Awards used to get.

"It's like Glastonbury. It's annoying when Glastonbury isn't on, isn't it? But I suppose you're more excited the year it comes back.

"Surely we can help with this. It sounds like something that I'd be well interested in attending.

"It seems a shame to have a fallow year, doesn't it?"

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Mr Gregory confirmed he had been contacted by Radio 1 and said: "I don't know what to make of that.

"One issue is that the venue helped a great deal with the organisation and we do not have the expertise to do it alone."

Dorset knob facts

Knob throwing has been a Dorset pastime since 2008

• The biscuits have been made by Moores of Morecombelake for more than 150 years

• Originally, they were made from leftover bread dough with added butter and sugar, hand-rolled and left to dry in the dying heat of the oven

• It is thought their name comes from the hand-sewn Dorset knob buttons that were also made locally

• They can be eaten with Blue Vinny cheese, dipped in tea or cider, or taken with honey and cream - known locally as thunder and lightning