Guinness World Records 2012 Longest Ears on a Living Dog

Guinness World Records 2012 in pictures

A Black and Tan Coonhound named Harbor, aged 8, from Boulder, Colorado, USA, has earned a spot in the Guinness World Records 2012 Edition for having the Longest Ears on a Living Dog. Owned by Jennifer Wert, Harbor’s left and right ears measure 12.25 inches and 13.5 inches respectively.

Guinness World Records 2012 Largest afro

Largest afro (female): Aevin Dugas (USA) is the proud owner of a record-breaking afro. When measured in New Orleans, USA, on 4 October 2010, it had a circumference of 1.32 m (4 ft 4 in). She trims her afro two or three times a year, and uses up to five conditioners at once when she washes it.

Guinness World Records 2012 Longest fingernails on a pair of hands

Guinness World Records 2012 in pictures

Longest fingernails on a pair of hands (female): No woman has a longer set of fingernails than Chris "The Dutchess" Walton (USA). They come in at 309.8 cm (10 ft 2 in) for her left hand and 292.1 cm (9 ft 7 in) for her right – a total of 601.9 cm (19 ft 9 in). A rock singer and recording artist, The Dutchess had her record-breaking nails measured by Guinness World Records in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on 21 February 2011. The Dutchess hasn't let 18 years of nail-growing get in the way of her other interests – a talented musician, she has already recorded her first studio album, Live and Let Liv

Guinness World Records 2012 Longest tongue

Guinness World Records 2012 in pictures

Longest tongue (female): Chanel Tapper (USA, above left) has a tongue that measured 9.75 cm (3.8 in), from tip to top lip, in California, USA, on 29 September 2010. The outright longest tongue record, though, is held by Stephen Taylor (UK) – his lengthy licker measured 9.8 cm (3.86 in) from tip to lip on 11 February 2009.

Meet the amazing piano prodigy

Meet the amazing piano prodigy, 8, who can breeze through Tchaikovsky and Mozart concertos ... despite being blind

By OLIVER PICKUP

Last updated at 2:41 PM on 6th September 2011

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Meet the amazing eight-year-old piano prodigy who is totally blind, yet has no trouble breezing through Tchaikovsky and Mozart concertos while most children her age are getting to grips with their times tables.

Naturally blessed Ying-Shan Tseng, from Boksburg in South Africa, is years ahead of her peers and only took up the piano three years ago, aged five.

And last year she excelled her competition after being named the top junior instrumentalist in the five- to 15-year-old age group at the South African Championships for Performing Arts.

Scroll down to watch young Ying-Shan play the piano

Totally blind: Ying-Shan Tseng plays at her piano at the Pioneer School for the blind in Worcester, South Africa

In contrast to sighted performers who are able to read music as they play, Ying-Shan must first learn each individual piece by braille before committing it to memory.

 

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'I cannot imagine where she stores all that information,' explained her astonished music teacher, Elize Weldhagan.

'In the first month she could do little songs that other kids can do after three or four months. She's absolutely amazing.' 

The eight-year-old studies the music in braille first, and then commits it to memory

Young Ying-Shan is totally blind and reads music using braille whilst at the piano at the Pioneer School for the blind in Worcester, South Africa

Ying-Shan's mother and father, Ching-Hsuan and Ken Tseng, say they were as surprised as anyone at that daughter's outstanding talent.

Her mother said: 'I don't know where her ability has come from, but we will do all we can to help her become a professional performer.

'She has taught me so much about perseverance and dedication in the way she masters her talents.' 

After spending the first years of her education in a mainstream school with sighted children, where she is said to have excelled, Ying-Shan was later moved to the National Eisteddfod Academy for performing arts.

Recently she was named the most inspiring junior performer at the school's annual awards.

Asked how she feels about her unique gift, the precocious performer says that music is like painting.

'I really like music, when I make the sound it is painting a picture. It makes me happy,' she said.

 

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American couple spend 39 years of summer holidays… in PLYMOUTH

'It’s like Heaven on Earth': American couple spend 39 years of summer holidays… in PLYMOUTH

• They met in the city when Bill Donald was billeted there in 1943

By EMMA REYNOLDS

Last updated at 4:41 PM on 6th September 2011

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It is a rather ordinary English coastal city that hardly looks like the most attractive holiday destination for wealthy tourists from thousands of miles away.

But an American couple who have just visited Plymouth for the 39th year running insist it is like 'heaven on earth'.

Bill and Thelma Donald, who live in bustling Boston, Massachusetts, have spent three weeks in the Devon city every year since 1972.

Lovers' paradise: Americans Bill and Thelma Donald enjoying their beloved Plymouth in 1943 and today

It holds a special place in their hearts because they met there in 1943, when Mr Donald, now 87, visited his future wife's hometown as an 18-year-old in the US Navy.

Mrs Donald, 83, said she dreams about 'beautiful' Plymouth, whose landmarks include a lighthouse and an aquarium.

Now the couple return each year to Plymouth, whose fort and pleasant countryside is more commonly enjoyed as a pleasure outing for coach trips from the South West and nearby Wales.

THE DONALDS' TOP 5 PLYMOUTH ACTIVITIES

1. Go swimming at the art deco Tinsdale Lido.
2. Stay at the Citadel House hotel on the historic Hoe.
3. Visit the leafy Prince Rock and Plymouth's parks.
4. Walk along the seafront and sit on the dock.
5. Make a trip to the Naval war memorial.

Mrs Donald said: 'My heart is always here. I just love it.

'I dream about it all the time. You have the beautiful countryside in the background and the beautiful sea here.

'It’s like heaven on earth. 

'When I left the city was completely destroyed by German bombs, now it’s just beautiful.'

Mrs Donald, who was born in the city's Prince Rock, became friends with Mr Donald over the 14 months he spent there, after she met the young Coxswain playing baseball in one Plymouth’s parks.

They remained in contact after Mr Donald was re-deployed on the US Navy destroyer USS Niblack in the Pacific.

In 1947, when Mrs Donald was 18, she received a telegram from her sweetheart that would change here life.

'We wrote to each other all the time and then one day he said to me in a telegram, "swim on over here I want to marry you",' she said.

'Within no time at all, I sailed over to New York on a steamer, which took 10 days.

'Bill was sitting on the dock waiting for me. We married 10 days later on December 16, 1947.'

 

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• We're all going on a summer holiday: 49 neighbours go to Ibiza TOGETHER

While the couple focused on family life and their three children for the next 25 years, in the summer of 1972 they made the trip they would repeat for nearly four decades.

'We just love all of this,' added Mr Donald, 87, gesturing at Tinside lido. 'We always come back to the Hoe and Tinside because it brings back so many memories. 

'Dream holiday': The lighthouse and lido are two tourist favourites in the Donalds' holiday destination of choice

'Thelma learned to swim at Tinside.

'To us this is the best place in the world. Everyone’s so friendly and helpful, you just can’t fault it.'

At first, the couple stayed with Mrs Donald’s parents in the Prince Rock area. But when her mother and father died, the American pair began staying at Citadel House hotel on the Hoe - where they have spent every visit since.

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Wish we were here: For this couple, Plymouth is the most beautiful place in the world

Norma Simpson, owner of Citadel House, said she sees them as family. 'They're amazing,' she said. 'They have the same suite in the hotel every year and very much have the same sort of routine.

'They go to the open air swimming pool at Tinside every day and Thelma swims several times a day - whatever the weather.

'They're incredible. They're old friends to us - almost like family now.

'We very much look forward to seeing them. All the staff know them. It's wonderful, really.'

Urban sprawl: The Donalds like nothing more than escaping their home in Boston to visit the English seaside

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2034275/Boston-couple-spend-summer-holidays-39-years--PLYMOUTH.html#ixzz1XD4lDiBh

49 neighbours jet off for joint trip to Ibiz

We're ALL going on a summer holiday: 49 neighbours jet off for joint trip to Ibiza 

By CLAIRE BATES

Last updated at 6:00 PM on 6th September 2011

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For most of us, one of the undoubted perks of a holiday is getting away from our noisy (and nosey) neighbours.

But one street of residents were so friendly with each other that they organised a joint Mediterranean trip - for all 49 of them.

The close knit families, who all live on the same street in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, swapped their rain-swept county for the sunny climes of Ibiza on an all-inclusive holiday.

Departures: Residents from Coronation Avenue proved good neighbours can become good friends by holidaying together

Trip organiser Paul John said none of the neighbours fell out while on holiday

Yesterday the happy travellers returned en masse having enjoyed temperatures of up to 28C at the Mar Amantis hotel in San Antonio.

The trip was organised by former pub landlord Paul John - a year after the idea was mooted at a street barbecue.

He said the only problems they encountered were sunburn or the occasional hangover.

Paul, 48, said: 'We live on Coronation Avenue but we are similar to Coronation Street in a way - we've certainly got a few characters coming with us.

'One of the neighbours was having a barbecue and someone suggested that we go away together.

'I thought it was a great idea, we are all great friends here and everyone gets on really well.

'It started off with six or seven of us planning to go and the numbers grew and grew.

'Obviously word spread and then the numbers crept up until there were 49 of us!'

The group - aged from three months to 60-years-old - all live around Coronation Avenue in west Wales where the 75 properties cost from £100,000. The area boasts a running track as well as a golf course.

Close community: The 49 holiday-makers live on Coronation Avenue (pictured) in Pembrokeshire

Paul said: 'I got to know everyone when I was the landlord of a local pub, we're a friendly bunch with similar interests.

'It is a friendly community we are very close and we enjoy having a good craic.

'We all had lots of fun. Their were no fall outs along the way. 

'We have had to come back to reality and the winds and rain of Wales.'

 

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Neighbour Vicky Coles, who runs a removal company, said: 'We had a great time and spent most of the week all together.

'We all knew each other before we went as friends and as neighbours so we knew we could get on well.'

The married mother-of-one, 39, said: 'We all had similar interests - most people went off on trips together, to a water park or on boat rides, and a couple even had tattoos done.

'We've come home with lovely tans and are planning on doing it all again next year.'

Residents enjoyed the hot weather on their all-inclusive Thomas Cook trip

Paul used to run a pub called The Bull in the town, but has worked as a HGV driver since the watering hole closed two years ago.

He said: 'My parents used to run the pub before me and I first went on a group holiday with them when I was younger.

'We used to go on coach trips abroad or get the boat over to Jersey, and I always thought it would be a nice thing to do again.'

The holiday makers paid over £500 per head to stay at a three-star all inclusive hotel in San Antonio, Ibiza.

Paul said organising the mammoth trip had been very straight forward - as he handed over the dealings to travel agents Thomas Cook.

He said: 'I thought it was going to be quite a lot of work but after I collected the deposits off of everyone I just handed it over to the shop.

'I think they were a bit shocked when I told them we were all going away together - they thought it was a wind up when they saw we were mostly all from the same street.'

A Thomas Cook spokesman said: 'This is a lovely story of friends getting away together.

'To have 49 going away on the same booking is a bit rare but we were only happy to help. The booking itself is the largest our store in the town has ever taken.'

 

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