This story is just too good to miss as it concerns a beauty contest for camels held annually in Saudi Arabia. 

But this year’s event has been mired in scandal after a vet was caught performing plastic surgery and giving Botox injections to some of the contestants at his clinic.

The owners of 12 ships of the desert were disqualified after being found to have attempted to improve their chances of winning the big prizes on offer at the annual King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, by trying to make their animals look more attractive and delicate.

It’s a serious competition with a total of $57million (£40million) up for grabs so there is great temptation for people to cheat – Miss Camel gets $30million (£21.4million)

The key attributes in camel beauty are considered to be delicate ears and a big nose. But there are strict rules against the use of drugs in the lips, or shaved or clipped body parts.

A permanent venue has just been established to host the headline events of races and show competitions held as part of the month-long festival which is the biggest in the Gulf and involves up 30,000 camels.

The pavilion features an auction where top camels can fetch millions of riyals.

And there are food stalls and souvenir shops, a petting zoo featuring the world’s tallest and shortest camels, a museum with life-size sand sculptures of camels, tents for tasting camel’s milk and viewing camel-hair textiles, and a planetarium showing how Arabs rode camels through the desert guided by the stars.

Could be worth putting on your “must do” list for future holiday ideas!

In the second hour of today’s show, Margaret Mills regaled the story of a near riot which ensued at one of the hostelries in Rayleigh back in the year 1805.

It seems that trouble erupted over a disputed bill for food and drink, originally ordered for 40 people whilst in the event only 7 people turned up to enjoy the repast.

If you missed what Margaret had to say on this subject, just click on the link below: –

See you again next week,
Scott