Three Helensburgh businesses have joined forces to find a place for the town in the Guinness Book of Records.
And the teams at the Olde Christmas Shoppe, Helensburgh Art Hub and Let’s Promote are hoping that the whole community will rally round to help to put Helensburgh firmly on the Christmas map and earn its title as The Christmas Town.
The 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 a whole lot more.
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.
“I have put aside some money to help provide lessons for any group who would like to join in and we are really hoping that plenty will – be it Brownies, Guides and Scouts, church groups, 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!”
And Karlyn Marshall of Helensburgh Art Hub commented: “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 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, Fabric and Finery or to the new Community Hub in the former Red Cross Hall on East Princes Street.
“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 via helensburgharthubworkshops.com .
Fiona Howard of Let’s Promote added: “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 the Guinness Book of Records for consideration of an attempt are 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 and the completed chain (however long it tuns out to be) will be strung between the lampposts on West Clyde Street, once it has been measured and adjudicated for the record attempt.
“We are also looking for a volunteer with accurate measuring facilities to help us meet the stringent Guinness Book of Records regulations so if there is anyone out there who would like to take on this vital task they can give me a call on 07789904687 or email fiona@letspromoteonline.co.uk .”
The finished links should be approximately nine inches long by 1.5 inches deep (21cm by 4cm) and they can be created in any sort of yarn.
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