WELL, we did it, or rather the listeners to BBC Hereford and Worcester did it – the world record for belly dancing was beaten, indeed shattered, at Malvern Theatres last Saturday.
Well done to all involved and on a personal note, well done to Mandi. In the end, the Guinness Book of Records confirmed that 535 people had belly danced – double the previous record.
It was a great sight, standing on top of the steps and seeing everyone doing it as one. It was done properly, not just a matter of standing and jigging, and included four blokes doing it in diving suits.
I believe some of it should be on telly tonight. Thanks to all at Malvern Theatres , too.
I shall not be there to watch it tonight as it’s the Friday night trek to Stockport for the Sale vs Warriors game. Now, I know it’s great to have Friday night rugby – indeed, we have Newcastle at Sixways next Friday – but driving on the motorways in November on a Friday afternoon is not great fun.
I think it took us five hours to get to Manchester last season.
Thanks to everyone at Weobley Cricket Club, where we went last Saturday. We were shattered after all the belly dancing and carrying stuff in and out of the theatre, but it was a really good night, a proper cricket club do, with lots of in-jokes and mickey-taking. Excellent food and great fun all round.
By the way , my gran was born in 1900, not 1990 as appeared in last week’s column.
Armistice Day this week, and I recall when I was a nipper the traffic stopped and everyone stood still on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, but not any more. I stood outside for a few minutes and you would not have known it was a special day at all.
On Sunday morning, I drove to Deblins Green, between Malvern and Worcester, where there’s a little memorial to Polish pilot Franciszek Surma. He parachuted from a Hurricane and landed near the spot after his plane came down in 1940, but was killed over Dunkirk on November 8, 1941.
This is his only known memorial.
Someone keeps it tidy and there was a little cross with a poppy on it. I stood for a couple of minutes on Sunday morning, and it was very cold with the wind whipping across the open fields. I could hear a bugle blowing somewhere in Malvern and it drifted across the fields. Very moving, I must say.
Both my grandads fought in the First World War and I wish I had talked to them more about it, but neither of them ever said much about it, and I suspect anyone who was in the trenches wouldn’t want to recall it too often.
An old boy called Harry Taylor I used to work with got quite upset about it, and this was some 60 years after it all happened but it still upset him to talk of it.
● Dave Bradley is BBC Hereford & Worcester sports correspondent.
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