CRAIG GLENDAY has seen all of it within the wacky land of Guinness World Data.
The tome’s editor-in-chief has witnessed hundreds of loopy makes an attempt, superhuman feats and all kinds of celeb antics — to not point out the cheats.
GettyGuinness World Data keeper and editor-in-chief Craig Glenday[/caption]
And because the fascinating annual celebrates its seventieth birthday this week, he remembers a number of the most unbelievable challenges from throughout the many years.
The large ebook has bought 155million copies and spawned hit children’ TV present File Breakers, initially hosted by Roy Fortress and that includes the McWhirter Brothers, whose data of information was excellent.
Initially known as The Guinness E book Of Data, it was based in Eire in 1955 as a ploy to promote extra Guinness stouts, and initially distributed to 18,000 pubs — roughly half the UK’s boozers — totally free.
However after copies stored getting swiped — forcing the introduction of slips urging “please don’t steal this” — it was pitched to WHSmith.
The bookseller initially agreed to order simply SIX copies for the entire of the UK, Craig tells us.
However quickly after studying it, they purchased in 5,000. By the tip of the week, they wanted 50,000.
The ebook topped the charts by Christmas, and by 1975 had change into the best-selling copyrighted ebook in historical past after promoting 23,950,000 copies.
Craig, who has been on the helm for 23 years, remembers one raucous session with the Monty Python staff, who had simply nailed a document for the most important coconut ensemble — that includes 5,877 folks clunking the fruit shells to At all times Look On The Vibrant Facet Of Life in April 2007.
‘Actual-life heroes’
“We obtained actually drunk after and ended up storming the stage of Spamalot [Monty Python musical], which was being carried out close by, with our coconut band, which they didn’t have approval to do,” Craig, 52, tells us.
He additionally turned “fairly good pals” with legendary actor Christopher Lee — hailed as cinema’s finest Dracula — who was named the “most linked actor”, based mostly on an algorithm that mapped working relationships between stars of stage and display screen.
The document debunked a delusion that it was actor Kevin Bacon who ought to maintain the title.
Recalling his first encounter with the Lord Of The Rings icon Christopher, Craig mentioned: “I bear in mind vomiting earlier than assembly him. I had a hangover from the night time earlier than and walked previous a freshly-glued carpet, which smelled actually disgusting.
“I walked right into a dressing room and noticed this outdated man in his underpants. I believed, ‘Who’s he?’, and it was Christopher Lee. We as soon as had a sword battle with props from The Lord Of The Rings movies, through which he performed Saruman, as a result of we might.
“He favored to problem me on {golfing} information to settle bets. He would cellphone me and say, ‘Who hit the longest shot or finest shot?’. I’d inform him, hear him swear and grasp up.”
Christopher, who died in 2015, additionally boasted information for tallest main actor at 6ft 5in, most movies with a sword battle (17), oldest online game voice actor, which he achieved twice, and most display screen credit.
Data boss Craig has additionally frolicked with stars resembling singer Katie Melua and actors Hugh Jackman, Jim Carrey and Bob Hoskins.
He as soon as thought-about a request from The Solar to call serial cheat Darren Day the world’s largest love rat, however determined it was too laborious to confirm.
PA:Press AffiliationRoy Fortress hosted TV’s File Breakers with the McWhirter twins[/caption]
AP:Related PressAstronaut Tim Peake ran the quickest marathon in area[/caption]
AF ArchiveLegendary actor Christopher Lee — hailed as cinema’s finest Dracula, held a string of titles[/caption]
However for Craig, the large showbiz names are much less attention-grabbing than the real-life heroes and decided people who try to interrupt information.
His favourites are fingernail rising feats, as a result of he finds it fascinating that somebody would enable their talons to achieve a “debilitating” size.
Amongst them was American Lee Redmond, who, in 2008, was declared the lady with the longest finger nails ever. They racked up a mixed measurement of 8.65metres, however have been damaged in a automobile accident in 2009.
Craig reveals: “Lee couldn’t slot in a bathroom cubicle aircraft. Our new male document holder, Luu Cong Huyen, is so scared they’ll fall off, he hasn’t washed his fingers for 34 years.”
Craig weighed Manuel Uribe — recognised by Guinness World Data in 2006 because the world’s heaviest man — and described him as “an enormous lad” at 88 stone, earlier than quipping it was good to not be the most important particular person in a room. Manuel died in 2014, aged 48.
Craig has additionally contemplated the logistics for the world’s tallest man — a title held by 8ft 2.8in Turkish farmer Sultan Kosen — who couldn’t sit in a aircraft seat so needed to lie flat.
“The cabin crew needed to maintain up coats whereas he peed throughout the aisle into the cubicle,” Craig says. “It’s questions like these which might be fascinating, like how does the tallest man wee?”
When Craig first began, he was obsessed by Frenchman Michel Lotito, referred to as “Monsieur Mangetout”, which interprets as “Mr Eats-All”. He held information for his weird eating regimen.
‘Very excessive requirements’
“He would eat steel and glass, and supposedly ate a Cessna 150 Plane over a two-year interval,” Craig says. “His eating regimen was ridiculous and included consuming a purchasing trolley.”
In the meantime, Craig admits it’s “a horrible factor” to interrupt the information that folks have failed of their makes an attempt, and a few take it very badly.
He says: “We’ve had adjudicators’ tales of being provided bribes, which they refuse, or locked in rooms till they provide the information. It may be scary, however we get educated to cope with all eventualities. In case you really feel at risk, give the document, get out of there after which disqualify them from the protection of the taxi on the way in which dwelling.”
Others have tried to distort the details, together with one wannabe world’s tallest man who refused to satisfy adjudicators after submitting video proof.
AP:Related PressManuel Uribe was the world’s heaviest man at 88 stone[/caption]
Occasions Newspapers LtdLee Redmond along with her unbelievable talons[/caption]
EquippedColin Craig-Brown’s big potato turned out to be a gourd[/caption]
“I used to be very suspicious and he stored dodging us and knocking again the journey,” Craig says.
“Finally, I discovered a photograph of him standing subsequent to a well-known politician.
“From that, his top was straightforward to find out utilizing photoshop. He was 7ft 2in or 7ft 4in, however claiming to be 8ft 5in — the world’s tallest.”
One other suspicious document try concerned a person attempting to stability probably the most pint glasses on his chin.
Craig says: “The earlier document obtained crushed by 25 pint glasses, which appeared actually troublesome as a result of weight on the jaw.
“We seen the situation, which was a baseball diamond. You wouldn’t need smashed glass there in the midst of a match. It turned out the claimant used plastic glass, not glass.”
Then there was Dug the enormous spud from New Zealand — tipping the scales at 17.4lb — which was regarded as the world’s largest however deemed to be “suspiciously massive and a large soar” from the earlier document.
Craig explains: “We organized to have a pattern of the core despatched to a lab in Edinburgh, which confirmed genetically it was not a potato.
“It was a sort of gourd. It appears a bit insane sending a potato the world over, however it’s price going that additional mile to get 100 per cent proof of whether or not it had damaged the document.
“An analogous one was an enormous beetroot which smashed the document. We examined it and it was a type of animal beet not for human consumption and never the correct species for the document. I’m not saying everybody means to cheat the system, however typically folks misunderstand the foundations and we’ve very excessive requirements.”
Craig has additionally had the pleasure of assembly astronaut Tim Peake, who set the document for the quickest marathon in orbit, on a treadmill aboard the Worldwide House Station, in 2016.
‘Childlike surprise’
Utilizing a harness to maintain him grounded within the zero-gravity atmosphere, he completed in 3 hours, 35 minutes and 21 seconds.
Simon JonesThe Solar’s Josh Saunders makes an attempt to interrupt 4 world information on the Guinness World information HQ in London[/caption]
EquippedThe primary version of the ebook[/caption]
EquippedThe seventieth anniversary version of the enduring publication[/caption]
“Astronauts are a tremendous class of human beings who actually have a special view of the world,” says Craig.
The unique Guinness E book of Data concept was born in Eire, when Sir Hugh Beaver wished to settle a debate throughout a 1951 duck hunt about what was the quickest sport chook.
Nobody might agree and no encyclopedia had the data, so the annual was born and given out free in boozers.
Craig says: “The publishers wished a presentation of details based mostly on superlatives for the working man — the very best paid footballer, the longest bridge, one thing to speak and care about. It has led to information from probably the most Harlem shuffles to measuring fidget-spinning talents.”
The model additionally sparked the long-running BBC kids’s present, File Breakers, which ran for 29 years from 1972, fronted by Roy Fortress. Cheryl Baker and Kriss Akabusi later hosted.
Whereas the annual has modified through the years, it has caught to the enjoyable and frivolity which has stored it on the high of the bestseller record — punting 1.7million final 12 months alone.
However Craig believes its success lies within the selection, lauding athletic titans alongside the quickest bouncer on a spacehopper.
“It ought to all be celebrated, it’s encouraging and provoking folks by doing issues which might be enjoyable,” Craig says.
“File breaking is a basically human factor. It’s a snapshot of humanity. From the primary version of the ebook, you possibly can map the event of area journey, exploration, telecommunications. You need to use the ebook to look via 70 years of historical past and the way we’ve advanced.
“It’s all optimistic and returns you to the mentality of being 14, having a childlike surprise of the world.
“It’s the enjoyable issues humanity has achieved that we stick within the ebook, it helps folks not fear concerning the horrors taking place all over the world.”
LWT‘Love rat’ Darren Day missed out[/caption]
JOSH PUTS HIS STAMP ON TITLES
By JOSH SAUNDERS
THE probability to change into a Guinness World Data title holder (be aware to editors, that’s the official means folks needs to be referred to) was a frightening however attractive problem.
I took on 4 of 70 unclaimed titles in in the future – probably the most T-shirts placed on in a minute, most anchovies eaten in 60 seconds, most kisses in 30 seconds by a staff of two and the quickest time to blow a stamp 10 metres.
Watched by adjudicator Joanne Brent,I begin with the kisses, needing a minimal of 138, or 4.6 per second, with long-suffering associate Jenny Troy, 37.
Makes an attempt are filmed and analysed by GWR adjudicators. Grabbing Jenny’s head in a vice-like grip, I furiously peck her cheek as she grimaces and laughs.
My lips dry out and my jaw aches. By the point 30 seconds are up, I’m panting. Two extra makes an attempt observe.
Whereas awaiting the outcomes, I strive blowing a stamp 10 metres in lower than 15 seconds. My first official go is 17.63 seconds. For the second, I undertake a military crawl, conserving my face to the ground, regardless of friction ache and bruising.
On the 10m line, I lie in a breathless heap, however my time was 13.98 seconds – my first Guinness World Data title!
My least favorite was subsequent – the anchovies – with a minimal of 200grams, roughly seven tins, required. Together with the stench, a number of lodge in my throat and I choke, splutter and dry-heave.
At full time, I’ve wolfed lower than half. My second try was worse, so I name it a day earlier than I vomit.
Lastly, I must put at the very least 25 T-shirts on in 60 seconds. Over three tries, I do not more than 13.
However my smooch-athon has landed me my second GWR title with 146 kisses.
Exiting GWR HQ clutching my certificates, I really feel like I’ve a superpower.