With a heatwave in full effect, no amount of watering, dancing, drumming and didgeridoo playing could coax the worms up from their cool, damp, underground homes

There was one clear winner at the Falmouth Worm Charming Championships today (Sunday, July 17) as competitors only managed to charm a grand total of one worm. With an amber warning for extreme heat issued by the Met Office, no amount of watering, dancing, drumming and didgeridoo playing could coax the worms up through the hard, dry soil to the scorching surface.

Following last year's successful inaugural event in Penryn, the worm-charming contest organised by artist Georgia Gendall moved to The Dracaena Centre in Falmouth this year, featuring worm art workshops, worm tattoos, worm charming merchandise and a brass band. For the competition itself, teams were each given a two-metre square plot of grass to charm worms out of within half an hour, without digging or using any mechanical tools.

Worm charming, worm grunting and worm fiddling are all terms to describe the act of enticing earthworms to the surface of the soil. As a skill and profession, worm charming is now very rare, with the art being passed through generations to ensure that it survives.

Worms come to the surface, in nature, in response to rain tapping on the ground, feeling the vibrations. Birds imitate this by pecking on the floor, or quickly stamping their feet.

Today, methods of enticing the worms out of the ground included playing drums, brass instruments, banging garden forks, breakdancing, dressing up as a giant worm and reading worm-related poetry. One woman had attached forks on to her fingers to rake down a shopping basket, and there was plenty of dancing - even though it was very hot.

For more than 20 minutes, the cacophony of trumpets, drumsticks and saucepans was unbroken until suddenly a cry went up - "I've got a worm!" And within seconds the successful worm charmer who had a melodica player on her team was surrounded by photographers and other competitors, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive worm.

As the contest came to an end with no other worms found, the official worm counters were, naturally, a little disappointed that their services would not be required this year. The winning team 'The Charmed Ones' comprised of expert charmers Myra, Cassius and Abbie, collected their trophy to rapturous applause, whilst the prize for the longest worm was quickly changed to a prize for the best fancy dress, and awarded to 'Big Worm' - a man in a hooded orange sleeping bag who was ready to celebrate with some water and shade.

The current world record was established on June 29, 2009, by 10-year-old Sophie Smith of Willaston, England, who raised 567 worms during Britain's World Worm Charming Championship. Sophie can sleep easy tonight, knowing that her record is safe after Falmouth's attempts, but even though the worms may not have been charmed today, a lot of people certainly were.

Falmouth Worm Charming Championships organiser Georgia Gendall gets the competition started.

Dressing as a giant worm during a heatwave takes a lot of commitment.

One team get started by tapping their flip flops on the grass.

Whilst another team go for a louder approach with drums and hammers.

Each team was given a two-metre square patch to try and raise worms from over 30 minutes.

Official rules state that any form of music may be used to charm the worms out of the earth, even using cardboard tubes as didgeridoos.

Competitors are allowed to pour water onto the grass, but nothing toxic is allowed to be used and anyone using a liquid must first take a gulp of the liquid in front of the official judge, the "Worm Master", before using it in the competition.

This man was confident that he could charm some worms - he was blowing his own trumpet.

Meanwhile, a man with a canvas bag on his head played a saw with a bow whilst his partner danced with an umbrella.

There were some technical ideas being tried out, like putting stakes into the ground and then sending vibrations through them. It didn't work.

A young boy plays drums on a washboard whilst a woman hits a garden fork with a mallet.

People attending the event could get worm tattoos and even try some of the Italian Worms with Tomato Sauce (we are hoping this was spag bol.)

Gweek Silver Band entertained the crowds with their music before the contest, but as soon as it got underway, they formed a team and started charming.

Anyone hoping for a quiet Sunday afternoon walk through the park was in for a shock.

Taking things very seriously, a box was used to amplify the vibrations into the ground. It didn't work.

This team of women put in a lot of effort, using saucepans, beaded car seat covers, wooden hippos and forks taped to their fingers. They managed to charm no worms.

The winning team last year used a didgeridoo, so this team could be forgiven for trying the same technique. Number of worms charmed? Zero.

If nothing else is working, why not try a whisk?

The worms were not interested in bass guitar today.

Competitors carefully check the grass for any worms as the beat goes on.

At some moments, people seemed to come out of their intense charming and take stock of what they were doing.

This woman loved a bit of squeezebox. The worms? Not so much.

A young boy squirts water into the patch of grass to try and help coax the worms out of the soil.

Some people had chosen worm inspired songs and poems, hoping that they would be appreciated from underground.

Blowing a wine bottle on top of a colander may have made a lot of sense in theory, but in practice it made no sense at all.

More water is fetched quickly as the time starts running out.

"I've got a worm!" Abbie jumps up and a field of charmers look at her in disbelief and envy.

As worms go, it was pretty tiny, but it was still a worm, in a worm charming championship with no other worms.

Auburn and Kathryn didn't mind, they had brought their own worms with them.

As the competition ends and the judges add up the number of worms charmed, a photographer leans in to try and see the one, tiny worm that is the sum total of half an hour's competitive charming.

Georgia Gendall marks the scores on the board. "It's a good day for the worms." She declares.

Myra, Cassius and Abbie, the winning team after charming the one and only worm of the day, celebrate with their ceramic worm charming trophy.

And the Big Worm gets a prize for wearing the hottest fancy dress outfit in a heatwave.