At Home with the Gurnies
Gurning is a traditional practice in the United Kingdom, especially in northern England, where people deliberately distort their faces into extreme shapes. It is most famously associated with the Egremont Crab Fair in Cumbria, which has held an annual World Gurning Championship since the nineteenth century. Competitors often frame their faces through a horse collar, a practice known as gurning through a braffin, and judges score the most dramatic or unusual facial contortions. Historically, gurning appears in rural fairs and folk events, and some records suggest it may have roots in older comedic or grotesque performance traditions. Today it remains a recognised part of British folk culture, noted for its mix of humour, skill, and long‑standing local identity.
