The Record Breakers

More memories courtesy of Josh Johnson and Edgar Auckland...

I didn't see the item on 'Record Breakers' but vividly remember watching Phil and team train for, and attempt what must have been the same Guinness World Record at an Ill-fated week-long jamboree of record-breaking attempts at Lingfield Racecourse in Surrey which went by the name 'Cosmorama'

Anyone remember it? Anyone part of the team?

It was a dismal commercial failure, with sponsors and contestants backing out from the get-go. I belonged to a Venture Scout group - one of many which had volunteered to help officiate, marshal events etc (Cheap labour) but who as the week drew on were drafted in to take part in events that had been left bereft of contestants. I took part in the World Record Walking Backwards attempt (unsuccesfully)

I knew nothing about Martial Arts, and am afraid to say, that with my fellow walking backwards stars, took a rather dim view of the whole concept of 'breaking' which we regarded, rather highly and mightily as mere thuggery. But as we got to know the team during the course of the week, we warmed to them. I was lucky enough to watch the spectacle, and remember it as a thrilling, pretty brutal assault. As I recall, they didn’t make it on that ocassion either; I have vague memories of getting quite drunk with the team on the closing night of the extravaganza, before going off to heckle the MP who for the best part of the week had been making an attempt at the longest political speech (something we did every night)

Phil must have made an impact on me because I’ve never forgotten him. When I took up Taekwondo, well into my 40’s, and before Parkinson’s Disease set in, I found that one day this name popped into my head. I ‘Googled’ it and there he was: exactly as I remembered him. Although of course at the time I had no idea what an immense figure he was.

I’d love to hear from anyone who remembers this event, or Phil’s thoughts about it. I write a blog and at the moment I’m working on a post about my (limited) martial arts experience and how I feel it has helped me deal with aspects of my condition and would like to included something about this event.

With best wishes,

Andy Daly