The unusual religious tradition is being enacted at St Ives parish church in 1979, and it’s called bible dicing. It’s nothing to do with slicing up the Good Book with a sharp knife, it’s all about gambling, not something generally encouraged in church. Every Whit Tuesday, children from local schools go to the church and roll a dice on a table to win a copy of the Bible. Remarkably, the custom dates back to 1765, when a parishioner, Dr Robert Wilde, left money in his will to fund copies of the holy writings.
Legend has it he had been lost in a fog, and was guided to safety by the church bells, so decided to bequeath money to the church to buy an orchard – which itself would provide an income the vicar could use to buy Bibles. The orchard, appropriately called Bible Orchard, is still there.
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