Can you help us with our world record attempt?

Setting a (Non Guinness) ‘Guineas’ World Record
Cost to participate = £2.10p (Guinea in old money, £1 and one shilling)

Questionable Ideas

Like a lot of questionable ideas, the ‘Guineas’ World Record started as a Pub conversation. Our Tower Captain, Bob, was recounting how he had participated in a Guinness World Record in the West of Ireland, on his birthday a few years ago, for the greatest number of people shearing sheep in one place with hand shears (YouTube – Hand Shearing World Record).

So fast forward to 2024, when we are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the refurbishment of the bells at Charlton in 1999, just in time for the Millennium, and the bell ringers of Charlton are wanting to improve the facilities in the Church, as we now spend longer there on our Thursday Practice nights, as we stop halfway through to enjoy a ‘Cake & Cuppa’ break. Like many rural churches, funds are limited, so we have offered to help a project to have a Kitchenette, Accessible Toilet with sink & Baby change, and with the most suitable site being the North Door Porch, where the current 30 year old, LPG Boiler and Blower are housed, a new heating system will now be required. This is being organised as a Fun, Fundraising charity event for Bell Ringers of all abilities.

How Are We Going To Achieve This?

The aim is to have as many ringers pass through our ground floor ring, ringing in pre-booked time slots, for a minimum of a five-minute period, with the complexity of the ringing being dependant on the ability of the band, with a minimum of rounds, which will allow even novice ringers to participate. We will need to have the whole process adjudicated, so that we can have evidence that the correct number of individuals took part, and that they rang for the 5 minutes. That time was chosen as it was the time that was required for the shearing, but it also allows time for a touch of a Doubles or Minor method. It is often also the time for a Striking competition, and although this is definitely not that, we will be offering a prize to the band that is considered to have provided the best ringing of the day.

Creating a Brand New World Record

There is no existing record for what we are attempting, although there are Guinness Ringing Records for Long Length Peals, etc. And for the greatest number of people ringing a bell in one place, 10,000 in Gdansk in Poland on 31st December 2000 and last year, 533 State Street Global Advisors rang the NASDAQ closing bell in Times Square. When we approached Guinness online, it appeared that it was going to cost £11K, and as we are needing to raise money, and that wouldn’t have helped! Every participant will receive a Certificate showing that they are a Guineas World Recordholder.