Squeals and whoops of laughter fill the allotment as Catherine's dad, Dave, pulls a long, squirming worm from the earth. "Look at that fella, betcha can't find a bigger one," he says. Soon, a gaggle of toddlers comes forward with contenders cupped in their palms. After the winner is chosen, the dads suggest the worms go for a rest. This begs a raft of questions from "do worms sleep?" to "why are worms squidgy?".
It's a Friday morning and there are seven dads on the allotment. Dave was the first to come to Wear Valley Sure Start in County Durham, and he nearly left when he was the only father attending for more than three months. "I was getting fed up," he admits, "but now my friends are coming along too."
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