And thus the spectacle of slow cross-country trains that should have been allowed to die when Amtrak took over from the freight railroads in 1971 but continue to roll at the cost of vast subsidies with little or no public benefit.
"It's important to stress once again that without imposing the extra health and safety measures, which all come at a considerable cost, the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling Event will not go ahead and eventually the tradition would die, " Mr Jefferies said.