We helped beat the World Record

We really really stomped on the Americans big time!!!!

At Trafalgar Square yesterday evening the English got there own back on the Americans and beating them 3-1 at the Guinness World Record Attempt to get the largest Coconut Orchestra to play Monty Python's 'Always look on the bright side of life' the famous song from their infamous film ' Life of Brian'. Over 5000 people turned up for this earth changing event. The previous record was for only 1600 Americans who turned up in New York City last year. When you consider that there are almost 300 million people in the USA and only 1600 people showed up indicates the poor state of the World. In England of course with a mere 45 millions people (sorry forgot about the immigrants) should be 60 million really, we could get 5000 people people to turn up. They actually ran out of coconuts and many people had to share.
After half -an-hour training on how to do a horses walk, canter and run and even jumping over hedges we were ready for the BIG ONE. To make it easier the set of instructions received with the coconuts helped enormously with one half of the nut marked with an 'L' and the other with an 'R' (see below)
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Strict instruction were needed to be followed to ensure that we met the high standards set down by Guinness World of Records management because failure to comply would result in us being kicked out of the competition. This was really serious stuff indeed.
Ken Livingstone, together with the 'Python' Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones showed up and lead us to this world record. I have to say that it made Jennifer and I extremely proud and honoured to be part of this major UK event.

The BBC 10 o'clock news covered the event and it is even on the BBC website today which shows how significant the function was.

This guy was seen in the Square looking a bit lost and obviously missing an arm.

Straight out of Monty Pythons The search for the Holy Grail.

Following the World record attempt, they then showed the Holy Grail film in full.-Great.
Prior to the event we went to a little known Japanese restaurant in Chinatown and had some excellent food.

Tony Blair was noticeably absent from this event as he was writing his memoirs, four pages should be enough I would have thought. I already have the page headings
1- How I took UK to war against Iraq and failed.
2- I promise I didn't know about the Money for Honours scandal
3- How I let a Scottish idiot screw up the UK economy
4- How I ruined the Health service and the public schools system in one fell swoop.

Although a number of people thought Tony Blair was disguised as below and practising his begging capabilities. Can't see what he is holding though?


The following photo shows some of the crowds at this event. We sat next to some Americans who explained they were ashamed of their country effort





A great day out and fully enjoyed by all.

We are off to France on Wednesday to see my sister and her husband for a few days and then on Saturday we go to South of Paris to stay with some ex K+N business colleagues and also pick up some really good Champagne for our street party planned for end of June.

See the following from the newspaper!!!

Coconutters! Monty Python orchestra breaks world record

24.04.07

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The world's largest coconut orchestra, led by two Monty Python stars, has made it into the Guinness World Records book.

A total of 5,567 people converged on London's Trafalgar Square to break the previous record of 1,789 people gathered in one location playing coconuts. They were conducted by actors Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam and the cast of the Monty Python musical Spamalot.

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The crowds gather in their attempt to break the world record for the largest coconut orchestra

Jones told the crowd how the coconut orchestra originally came about while they were filming Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

"About halfway through filming we realised we couldn't afford horses and had to stick to coconuts," he said.

He and Gilliam demonstrated how two people could split and share the coconuts and play them together.

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London Mayor Ken Livingstone joined Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam for the coconut orchestra attempt

The members of the giant orchestra then demonstrated their skills with a rendition of the Python classic Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, "clip-clopping" their coconut shells in time.

The previous record was set in March last year outside the Shubert Theatre in New York, to celebrate the first year anniversary of the Broadway production of Spamalot.

Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "Yesterday's event not only broke a world record, it celebrated the unique English sense of humour, making it a great way to celebrate St George's Day."

The coconut orchestra was part of the St George's Day festivities held across the capital over the past three days, with the aim of celebrating English culture.

This year's focus was English comedy and included a free programme of film and television comedy, ending with a special screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail last night.

Spamalot, currently showing in the West End, is the brainchild of Python star Eric Idle.

The award-winning show is "lovingly ripped off" from the original film, and tells the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Piplin House Planning Permission received

Well today is a good day as we have received confirmaytion that our application to extend and improve Piplin House has been approved without any changes. I thought that Elmbridge may ask for the helicopter pad to be moved away from from new extension of the River Wey which will provide our own harbour view but it would appear to have been accepted.

In an endevour to save electricity we have ordered one of the large wind turbines, they are about 200 feet high and will generate enough power to keep Weybridge happy. The neighbours could object of course...Ha

Anyway, now the hard work starts....

It's here at last

The GrovesMobile has arrived at last!!

On Thursday last week we drove up to Dereham in Norfolk to collect our new bailey Senator Louisiana Caravan.
The hand-over took almost three hours as there quite a lot to learn about setting up all the equipment etc. As it was quite late after the hand-over and that we had booked the Caravan for a security system to be fitted the next morning approx 20 miles away we had decided to stay overnight at Barnham Broom Golf Club. A nice dinner to celebrate and early to bed.

The next morning we got up bright and early to collect the van only to find they had lost the keys, what a great start. However one hour later we left Dereham and very gingerly drove down some dual carriageway en-route to a place called Downham Market, a small but interesting little town. The security Company facility was not easy to get in to and as I was not yet fully experienced in backing this large monster back around a 90 degree bend we did cause a minor traffic jam, well minor to us living in Surrey. Anyway we got it back down the driveway and we left the van for three hours whilst they fitted the GPS tracking system. This works on the principal that if the van moves without us doing it, police, army and helicopters and parts of the European defence descend en-mass to stop them. Or so the say in the advertising booklet. let us see.

Then off to the Fakenham Camping Club site where we arrived at mid-afternoon and then we had to start working where all the plugs and pipes and bit's of metal go. We now have three security systems on the van, insurers require, and hopefully it should be safe.Three hours later after reading multiple handbooks and trying things out, we now had electricity, gas and water all up and running, but no food for dinner. So we went to the Club site restaurant for a hard earned meal and glass of wine. The bed is a little bit smaller than out king size at home but is very comfortable.

On Saturday morning we spent more time playing with our new toy and we need to buy a torque wrench to be able to check the caravan wheel nuts. No luck locally and after phoning our daughter at home to get on the Internet we went of to Halfords at Kings Lynn. We bought the appropriate equipment only to find when we got back that it did not fit. Will have to go to Halfords in Weybridge to sort this out. what a pain. Dinner in the Caravan Saturday night , a nice salad followed by a walk around Fakenham town.


Sunday morning saw us towing the van on the 160 mile drive from Fakenham to Chertsey Caravan Site where we are to stay for a few days before putting the caravan in to storage. (This is unfortunate as we had planned to go away for a few weeks in France but Jennifer's dad is not well and so we are grounded for the time being). This caravan is a twin axle type and the wheel security system requires that you get both wheels in exactly the same place so that you can thread through the security bolt only during driving ,the wheels are taking difference routes, and so we can only align one wheel. It would appear that we have to jack the van side up to ensure that they are both the same, not a great idea but at least it helps stop people stealing it. When we parked the van on the site which has its own electric hook-up, fresh water supply and and waste outlets it well organised/ The washing facilities at this site are really very good even though we do use our on board bathroom.
Early evening we headed back to our house in Weybridge, 10 minutes away to raid the fridge for food and booze as we had no time to shop. A nice evening checking over the instruction booklets before giving up and going to bed.

Well we have had a great time in the last few days, towing this monster was not that bad and the Land Cruiser is an ideal towing vehicle and just sits there and chugs away without any effort.