Archived News Items from late 2002

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World Record "Beard Chain"

Our President, Ted Sedman, recently spent a most enjoyable weekend as a guest of the Höfen Beard Club.  The highlight was on December 1st, at the Baden-Württemberg Hairdressing Championship held in Stuttgart.  Ten members of the Höfen Club (including Ted) and ten from the Pforzheim Club stretched out their moustaches or beards end to end and achieved a World Record.  With twenty people a total span of   22.15 metres (72 ft 8 in) was attained.

Part of the Chain

Visitors from the Höfen Club

On the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of November there was a visit by four members of the Höfen Beard Club from the Black Forest area of Germany.  They were led by our good Friend Jörg Diamantopoulos. (As we can't spell or pronounce Jörg's surname properly we usually call him Luciano Pavarotti for short 'cos he looks like him!)  For this week-end we must thank Rod, our Secretary, and his sister and brother-in-law, Caroline and Geoff Pye, for their really sterling work.  Rod and Conway took our visitors to the 'first Friday' gathering in the "Windsor Castle", and several other Handlebars joined in to have a 'good little evening'.

Höfen Club members at the "Windsor Castle"

On the Saturday, a wet and miserable one, Rod took the Germans up to London for the day. He was somewhat thwarted by not being able to go on the London Eye - there was a two-hour wait - so they didn't.  Then in the evening, it was an early night, as Rod took the visiting chaps back to Stansted to catch their plane at 7am the following morning.

Visit to Brugge

Our "scribe" Conway and his wife Rosemary went on holiday to Belgium and attended a gathering by the West-Vlaamse Snorrenclub of Brugge on the 18th, 19th and 20th of October.  Conway remarked that it may sound late for a holiday, but Brugge was still in 'full swing' when they were there as the city was one of the two 2002 Cultural Capitals of Europe. He found that the Flemish were amongst the kindest and friendliest people in this world and Brugge is a lovely city beyond belief.

The gathering was 'traditionally' held in three parts. An introductory gathering in Zeebrugge on the Friday evening, the main gathering on the Saturday evening in Brugge, and a further gathering again in Zeebrugge on the Sunday morning for those who were up to it. But Rosemary and Conway did not attend the Zeebrugge gatherings.

Early on the Saturday evening everyone met in De Burg, a smallish square where the 'City Hall' is located. In the 'City Hall' there was a reception and speeches. The Flemish seem particularly fond of receptions in city halls and also automatic sliding doors, and candles on restaurant tables! Conway was told that about 100 moustache and beard chaps from 10 different clubs were there and he felt it was a very great pity that more of our Club members weren't able to attend.

From the 'City Hall', headed by two immaculately attired bagpipers and a drummer, the group set off to the Sofitel, a very smart hotel about a mile away. After a very nice buffet supper and some dancing there was a small moustache and beard competition. The chaps were all given numbered lapel stickers and the ladies voted on paper for 1, 2 and 3. One of the two Italians won 1st prize. There was a number of small presentations, in fact Conway got two. He was also kissed by a Belgian Marine during the course of this - and he very quickly hastened to say that SHE was very nice!

Presentations

At about 1am, when Rosemary and Conway left, the party was still going strong and if it hadn't been for our good friend Frans Van Haaren of the Dutch Club giving them a lift back to their hotel they'd still be walking around Brugge trying to find it.

A lovely gathering especially as it was the first by the West-Vlaamse Snorrenclub. Our very many thanks.