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.
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
24.04.07The 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.
