While the southern version of shin-kicking is a rather gentle sport, with soft shoes, where the aim is to wear down the opponent with the kicks and then wrestle them to the ground, in the north of England, where it is called "parring", (often pronounced "purring") it is a very different sport; Brian's doctored shoes would have been considered tame.
Parring involves shoes with steel toe caps, metal plates attached to the sole, blades or even nails attached to the toes.
"Corrugated shins" from bouts are a badge of honour.
Dwile flonking is a pub game involving two teams of twelve players, each taking a turn to dance around the other while attempting to avoid a beer-soaked dwile (cloth) thrown by the non-dancing team. The origins are disputed with some saying that it dates back to the middle ages, and others say that it is an invented tradition from the 1960s.
The toe wrestling battle takes place on a specially built podium, or "toedium", that has two walls on either side.
The World Toe Wrestling Championship was founded in the county by a group of friends who were drinking in a pub in Wetton in 1974.
MBE stands for Member of the Order of the British Empire, which is an award given by the British monarchy. It's awarded to people who have made significant contributions to society, such as in the arts, sciences, charity, and public services.
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