craigglenday

We have countless records regarding the physical Earth, the universe, etc, that rarely change – Everest has been the highest mountain for a long time and will retain this record for the foreseeable future! - but in terms of human achievement, we classically quote the story of Simon the Stylite as the (no pun intended longest standing): "The record for the longest time someone has remained on top of a pole belongs to the monk, St Simeon the Stylite (c. AD 386–459), who spent approximately 39 years on a stone pillar on the Hill of Wonders, near Aleppo, Syria. His purpose was self-persecution for people's sins, and to be nearer God. The Church of St Simeon or Qalaat Samaan was built in honour of the monk and houses the ruins of the column." No one has stayed atop a pole longer, so the record has stood for c.1500 years. Many holders, such as Robert Wadlow (tallest ever man), held a record in the first edition and still hold it today.

We get c1000 applications a week, many of which are for new titles. If we like the idea, and it fulfils the criteria of a measurable world record, we write guidelines that allows other people who follow to attempt the same record under the same conditions. We prefer people to break existing titles, as world records are meant to be broken, but if it's something new and exciting, we want to hear about it. Our job is to reflect the world so we document what people are doing, hence new records for fidget spinning, floss dancing, etc. Love to hear new ideas (even if only c.7% get approved!)

Thanks! Yup, we're amazing but we're not omnipotent!! One example was balancing pint glasses on the chin - whether deliberately or inadvertently, the applicant used plastic "glasses", claiming a linguistic misunderstanding. We didn't notice in the video that was sent in, and none of the eyewitness statements mentioned the fact that the beakers were plastic. Suspicion grew when the record was beaten by such a huge number - it's a giveaway that something is amiss! - but it was the current record holder that drew attention to the error. We quickly DQ'd the attempt!

Impossible to say! Depends on my mood. Since childhood, I've been fascinated by the fingernail records - why would anyone do this!? - and on the back of my business card, where GWR staff can show a pic of their fave record, I've got India's Shridhar Chillal, owner of 909.6-cm-long (358.1-in) nails (left hand) - nearly 30ft of nail.

I also got to meet a few of the fingernail record holders, and they're fascinating to speak to about their choice. They do it for different reasons - to prove something to someone or themselves, for attention, for fun - but all interesting! I also enjoyed meeting Mr Mangetout, the French polyphagist who ate a Cesna - we did a photoshoot with him in front of all the things he'd consumed in his lifetime, include bicycles, computers, shopping trolleys and even the aircraft. My cellphone went missing during the shoot and I'd love to think that he snacked on it during lunch! (He denied it!!)

There are LOADS of records that we can't fit into the book. MYTH #1 "If I get a record, I'll get in the book." Not true, as the book can only accommodate c.4000 records, and we have c.60,000 in the archive, with new entries being added each year. My team are the curators of the content, so we decide which to include each year. It's difficult, as we know a lot of people are going to be disappointed. Some records just don't fit into the themed spreads, and although we do have chpater round-ups, there are STILL too many to get them all in. The book long ago became unable to accommodate all the records, so each year is a snapshot of the world today. It's a fascinating read, tracking how the world is moving on.

Re "thresholds", when the Records Management Team receive a new application for a new idea, they'll scour YouTube, speak to experts and even experiment in the office to establish a minimum requirement. You can't expect to do just, say, 3 of something and get the record, just because no-one else has done it - we need to know that it's worthy. Again, a lot of people are disappointed to hear that they have to go to great lengths to set a record but we onl want to recognize something that's worth talking about.