Glasgow is an incredibly talented city - from athletes to musicians to comedians - we have it all here in Glasgow, today we wanted to celebrate not only the best of the best, but the strangest of the strange.
Each year, the good folk at Guinness publish their world famous book - categorising the biggest and best records broken from across the globe for the last 70 years.
The idea came about in the early 1950’s when Sir Hugh Beaver (1890—1967), Managing Director of the Guinness Brewery, attended a shooting party in County Wexford. There, he and his hosts argued about the fastest game bird* in Europe and failed to find an answer in any reference book.
In 1954, recalling his shooting party argument, Sir Hugh had the idea for a Guinness promotion based on the idea of settling pub arguments and invited the twins Norris (1925—2004) and Ross McWhirter (1925—75) who were fact-finding researchers from Fleet Street to compile a book of facts and figures.
Over 151 million copies of the Guinness Book of World Records have been sold to date - with 62,252 active record titles currently held in the database, and upwards of 50,000 record enquiries each year - last year saw over 7,300 records approved as world records.
Today we’re looking at the most impressive and most bizarre records held by Glaswegians, as well as records that were broken in Glasgow.
1. Most make up sponges caught blindfolded in 30 seconds
Scottish Youtube stars, Jamie Genevieve and her partner Jack McCann, set the record for the ‘most make up sponges caught blindfolded in 30 seconds’ - at a whopping 10 make-up sponges. They broadcast their record during their show on May 4 2020 which aired on the BBC Scotland channel.
2. World’s largest can can dance
The world’s largest can can dance took place not in France, but in Glasgow. Run by Irn Bru, 1503 participants in Glasgow Green on September 13 2009. Fun fact: The most famous example of can can music, is called ‘Galop infernal’, which first featured in the final act of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld.
3. Longest duration to spin a fidget spinner on the nose
Japan’s biggest Guinness World Record holder, Mr Cherry, span a fidget spinner on his nose for 8 minutes and 49 seconds on the set of series 7 of Officially Amazing Goes Bunkers at the BBC studios in Glasgow. The record-breaking mad-man also holds the title for most apples bobbed in one minute (37 apples) and most walnuts crushed by sitting down in one minute (122 walnuts).
4. Largest menswear store
Slater Menswear, Glasgow, covers an area of 2,600 metres squared(28,000 square foot) including the reception area, with about 14,000 suits in stock at any one time.