potatoes, onions, and leeks, oh my!

seeing images of queen elizabeth's recent diamond jubilee triggered a memory of another english royal event that was televised many years ago. i recall that i was eight years old at the time, and i was watching a program with my dad that featured people dressed as giant vegetables running around in a courtyard. (yes, i did say giant vegetables, and no, it wasn't a fever-induced hallucination.) i vaguely remember my dad explaining to me that it was a game or a contest of some kind, and that it was being performed for the benefit of the queen. i was quite entertained by the spectacle of adults running around in onion and leek costumes.

because i don't know the exact details or circumstances of the event, i googled the following, hoping to find information and video footage of the program:

people dressed as giant vegetables, queen, 80's

this search yielded exactly what i was looking for:

the grand knockout tournament

according to wikipedia, the grand knockout tournament was a charity event conceived and organized by prince edward. this event (which was not endorsed by the queen, by the way) consisted of four teams competing in games to raise money for charity. each team's captain was a member of the british royal family, and celebrities were invited to partake in the activities.

needless to say, i had a blast watching the video clips on youtube.

veggies on the loose!	leeks gone wild
come any closer and i'll make you cry	the captured veggies get thrown into the pot (or should i say into the "stock"ade? haha...)