Main content

Brett Westwood uncovers our long and fascinating relationship with eels via a festival in the Isle of Eels, a river bank in Dorset and a pie and mash shop in London.

We have been catching and eating them for centuries; jellied, smoked or stewed and yet there is still much we don't know about the life of an eel as Brett Westwood discovers when he joins a traditional eel fisherman on the banks of a river in Dorset and learns about bobs and worms. Eel skins were once worn as wedding rings and their heads used as finger puppets in Ely, otherwise known as the Isle of Eels which today holds an annual festival to celebrate all things 'eel' from a giant eel paraded through the streets to the World Eel throwing competition!

First broadcast in a longer form on the 22nd August 2017

Original Producer (2017) Sarah Blunt
Archive Producer (2024) Andrew Dawes

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Sun 24 Mar 2024 06:35
成人快手 Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Octopus

Next

Louse

See all episodes from Natural Histories

Tracey Gardner

Tracey Gardner
Tracey is one of the organisers of the Ely Festival and the .聽She works with the team.

Nora Gardner

Nora Gardener first encountered Eels in her birthplace of Holland. She now lives in the UK and is a and walking encyclopedia when it comes to the history of eels and Ely.

Don Goodwin

Don Goodwin
Don Goodwin is a licensed eel fisherman, he fishes using a traditional method called eel bobbing in which the eels are lured with a 鈥榗lod鈥� of earthworms on a line and rod.

Graham Manze

Graham Manze
Graham Manze is the son of Michele Manze who first opened the in 1902 in London. Ever since he was a child, when he used to visit the kitchens to watch what was happening, Graham has been involved with the business.

David Righton

David Righton
David Righton is a behavioural ecologist at聽 and聽has been following fish since his university days, when he became interested in the territorial behaviour of fish on coral reefs in the Red Sea.

During his career, he has led a number of large field-based projects; two focused on uncovering the mysteries of migration in cod and European eel. David is a former associate editor of the and is currently a trustee of the .

Matthew Routledge

Matthew Routledge
Matthew Routledge was the Eel Knight and compere at the 2017聽. He works with the team.

Broadcasts

  • Tue 22 Aug 2017 11:00
    成人快手 Radio 4
  • Mon 28 Aug 2017 21:00
    成人快手 Radio 4
  • Sun 24 Mar 2024 06:35
    成人快手 Radio 4

Natural History Heroes

Natural History Heroes

Scientists celebrate the pioneers who inspired their work and lives.

Natural Histories Comedy

Humorous perspectives on life from the plants and animals in the series.

10 things we got wrong about dinosaurs

Dinosaur myths, misconceptions and mysteries.