Largest gathering of pirates in one place - Penzance town set world pirate record
A west Cornwall town is celebrating after being officially recognised as a world record breaker.
The Guinness World Records have confirmed that Penzance now holds the title for the largest gathering of pirates in one place.
On Sunday 25 June, 8,734 people in fancy dress assembled on Penzance promenade at 13:00 BST.
They have now officially broken the previous record set by 6,166 pirates in Hastings in 2010.
The pirate gathering was part of the town's annual Golowan Festival which celebrates the traditional feast of St John.
Pirate ships
The record attempt was the brainchild of Penzance resident, Angie Butler, who wanted her home town, made famous by the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, "The Pirates of Penzance", to hold the pirate record.
Participants were asked to wear pirate items including bandanas, cut off trousers, eye patches, pirate hats and cutlasses.
Organiser Andy Hazelhurst said: "We had all sorts of standards of costume from Johnny Depp look-a-likes to little kids with stripy t-shirts.
"We even had dogs dressed up, although they didn't get counted."
They were counted on to the promenade in Penzance by official counters.
A west Cornwall town is celebrating after being officially recognised as a world record breaker.
The Guinness World Records have confirmed that Penzance now holds the title for the largest gathering of pirates in one place.
On Sunday 25 June, 8,734 people in fancy dress assembled on Penzance promenade at 13:00 BST.
They have now officially broken the previous record set by 6,166 pirates in Hastings in 2010.
The pirate gathering was part of the town's annual Golowan Festival which celebrates the traditional feast of St John.
Pirate ships
The record attempt was the brainchild of Penzance resident, Angie Butler, who wanted her home town, made famous by the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, "The Pirates of Penzance", to hold the pirate record.
Participants were asked to wear pirate items including bandanas, cut off trousers, eye patches, pirate hats and cutlasses.
Organiser Andy Hazelhurst said: "We had all sorts of standards of costume from Johnny Depp look-a-likes to little kids with stripy t-shirts.
"We even had dogs dressed up, although they didn't get counted."
They were counted on to the promenade in Penzance by official counters.
