HELENSBURGH businesses have joined together in a novel bid to get the town into the Guinness World Records.
The Olde Christmas Shoppe, the Helensburgh Art Hub and Let’s Promote are working to make Helensburgh “The Christmas Town”.
Their plan is to create a “paper chain” from knitted or crocheted links that will stretch from Sinclair Street to William Street.
And anyone will be able to join in and create their own links for the chain whether it is just one or many.
Toni Howard of the Olde Christmas Shoppe said: “The idea came about after we took part in a class at the Art Hub to learn how to crochet chains in the style of the old paper ones you used to make in school.
“It was great fun to do and something that anyone can learn to do so we thought that perhaps we could organise an event to help boost Helensburgh as ‘The Christmas town’.
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“I have put aside some money to help provide lessons for any group who would like to join in.
“We are really hoping that plenty will - be it Brownies, Guides and Scouts, church groups or senior groups.
“In fact any local club or group will be welcome to take part, perhaps we will see lengths of chain in specific club or charity colours.”
Karlyn Marshall of Helensburgh Art Hub added: ”We are really excited about this project which we think will be fun for all ages and a great community project.
“If any group wants to join in and would like some help with the basic skills required then they should contact me at the Art Hub and we will do our best to organise some Covid friendly training to suit.”
Once each group or individual has gathered a number of links then they can either join them up and hand in their length of chain or drop the finished links into either the Art Hub, the Olde Christmas Shoppe or Fabric and Finery, all on West Clyde Street, or to the new Community Hub in the former Red Cross Hall on East Princes Street.
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Karlyn added: “If there is anyone out there who would like to take part but doesn’t want to knit or crochet then perhaps they could volunteer as stitchers, joining the completed links into chains. All assistance will be welcome.”
Karlyn can be contacted on 01436 671499 or you can email helensburgharthubworkshops.com to volunteer to be a part of the project.
Fiona Howard of Let’s Promote said: ”We are very excited about this project and really hope that lots of people will want to join in.
“An application has been submitted to Guinness World Records for consideration of an attempt at a new world record for knitted and crocheted “paper chain” because as far as we can see this has not been done before.
“We aim to make the unveiling of the finished chain part of the Helensburgh Winter Festival at the end of November.
“The completed chain, however long it turns out to be, will be strung between the lampposts on West Clyde Street, once it has been measured and adjudicated for the record attempt.”
The record attempt also needs a volunteer with accurate measuring equipment to ensure they meet the stringent regulations laid down by the Guinness World Records judges.
Anyone who would like to play that small but vital role in the process is being asked to call Fiona on 07789 904687 or email fiona@letspromoteonline.co.uk.
The finished links should be approximately nine inches long by one-and-a-half inches deep (21cm by 4cm) and they can be created in any sort of yarn.
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