Diamond Jubilee 2012: Park ties up record for world’s longest bunting

THE world record for the longest continuous stretch of bunting was broken yesterday.

National Trust staff at Clumber Park in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, confirmed they had beaten the existing world record of 3,427.94 metres that was set in London on 13 May last year.

Using a trundle wheel, their stretch of red, white and blue bunting measured 4,212m (13, 818ft).

Thousands of flags have been cut, decorated, sewn and strung up around the National Trust site in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Annie Bethell, National Trust volunteer programme manager at Clumber Park, said she was elated at having broken the existing world record.

The idea came from when staff were discussing how to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. “We started to have a discussion about the Big Lunch and having the Big Lunch for the Jubilee,” she said.

“In the packs there was a piece of bunting template and we sort of very jokingly said ‘oh let’s have a look at how long the record is’, and it sort of escalated from there.”

But staff and visitors at Clumber Park may have to wait a while longer to see if they have taken the record with communities in the south west also competing for the title.

Ms Bethell added: “People are really proud of it, they really have made it their own and they feel very proud and very passionate about the record.”