Drinking in a bar can sometimes be beneficial to the whole world! Coming from pen of a Teetotaler, it may sound surprising and no, it is not autocorrect! The statement is true! Read on!
When we were young (er!); anytime someone made some big claim or did something amazing, we used to say, “Wow! That must be in the Guinness book!”
But did you know that this world famous book which is now a global brand, with offices in London, New York, Beijing, Tokyo and Dubai, with brand ambassadors and adjudicators on the ground around the world started with an argument in a BAR!?
We used to love watching this show since we also had our own Limca Book of records which was a book while this was also a show! The episodes used to be so interersting and fun! Sometimes even bizarre! I remember one episode where they were documenting who could spit the spit most furthest!
Now of course it is no longer about the book since no one reads it much anyway! Instead the records are seen in TV shows, medial and other events including the website!
Now, coming to the Bar story! In fact even the word Guinness is named after a brewery in Wexford!
The official story is that the book which is the ultimate authority on record-breaking achievements, started out as an idea for a book of facts to solve arguments in pubs!
When you are high spirited then you may not listen to someone or something unless it is ‘authority!” this was the primary function of this book!
The idea came about in the early 1950’s when Sir Hugh Beaver (1890—1967), Managing Director of the Guinness Brewery, attended a shooting party in County Wexford.
There, he and his hosts argued about the fastest game bird in Europe and failed to find an answer in any reference book. Of course one smart phone would have solved the matter then and there! But Some findings are meant to be!
In 1954, recalling his shooting party argument, Sir Hugh had the idea for a Guinness promotion based on the idea of settling pub arguments and invited the twins Norris and Ross McWhirter who were fact-finding researchers and more importantly sober to compile a book of facts and figures! The alcohol and the bar may have stimulated the quest but facts need a normal ‘spirited’ mind!
Guinness Superlatives was incorporated and the office opened in two rooms in a converted gymnasium on the top floor of Ludgate House!
After an initial research phase, work began on writing the book, which took 13 and a half 90-hour weeks, including weekends and bank holidays and possibly couple of visits to the bar!
Even under the influence of alcohol McWhirters would not have known that taking shape was a book that would go on to become an all-time best seller and one of the most recognized and trusted brands in the world! The story may now be an entry in the Ripley’s Believe or Not!
Now the thing which may bug the men who fought and Sir Hugh and most probably you is what was the answer on that pertinent question which started the whole thing! Although the books never did tackle this original question – owing to their focus purely on world records – the red-breasted merganser would be the most likely answer; it is fully migratory and still occasionally hunted! So even a brawl in a bar may make you fall but it can lead to something great! Like how birthday celebrity Michael Caine says in batman, “”Why Do We Fall, Sir? So That We Can Learn To Pick Ourselves Up.”
Now fall on the bed and sleep!
Good Night!
ramadocblog 