My walking challenges may be over, but I am now attempting an official 50 hour non-stop bass playing world record bid from 3pm Good Friday (30th March) to 5pm Easter Sunday (1st April) at the Fairway Buoy in Westward Ho! The current record is 40 hours and is held by a Canadian chap named Kevin Latimer (can be googled), which was set in 2013. I have been accepted for the bid by the Guinness Book of World Records and will be fundraising for the Children’s Hospice South West as always.

There is a very strict criteria to adhere to but basically I have to play recognised songs non-stop to a “reasonable standard”, am allowed 5 minutes rest for every hour played, which I can store up if I wish (for example play 3 hours take 15 mins rest), the event must be filmed throughout and I need two different witnesses for every four hours! I am also not allowed to repeat any song within 4 hours. I will be playing along with recorded music throughout.

My eldest son Ryan will also be heavily involved in the entirety of the record attempt, as he will be live streaming the whole thing to Facebook Live Video and will be actively engaging, marketing and promoting the event's digital presence non-stop throughout the 50 hours of the attempt. To provide relief cover, my youngest son Danny will also be helping out! This is all with the goal of increasing the visibility of the event to raise more money.

Many thanks to Rob Braddick who has kindly allowed me to play at the Fairway Buoy throughout the 50 hours (attempt has to be made in a public place) and will enable me to continue playing even when the pub shuts. 

I have drawn on my years of local band playing to come up with 80 songs, particularly from my current time with Morning Glory and back in the 90s with Strange Brew, although I have also added plenty of new songs. I don’t profess to be anything more than a pub bass player, but this record is really all about pain and endurance as always!

I honestly feel that this will be tougher than the walk as although nowhere near as physical, mentally remembering the songs when exhausted, (particularly on the dreaded second night) is a daunting challenge! Tiredness is so hard to cope with and I can’t just trudge on this time, the brain has to keep functioning somehow! The good news is I absolutely love music, it inspires me and evokes feelings and memories like nothing else can, which I know will give me strength when it matters.

The main target will be to get past the 40 hour record but I will do everything I humanly can to last 50 hours. No refunds will be made to sponsors if I fail! 

CHSW are supporting me with fundraising as always and hopefully my efforts will be as successful as last year, which raised £2000. They are a fantastic charity doing incredible work and rely heavily on voluntary donations, without which they couldn’t perform the vital service they provide. Knowing that I am raising money for a wonderful cause will definitely help me when the going gets tough.