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This image was taken for a series published in the Manawatu Evening Standard on 26 April 1975 with the caption, "Raymond Weber stands on Cottle's chest this morning. Many failed to see the point of the exercise but 20 year old Will Cottle didn't let the midnight revelers needle him in his successful world attempt on a bed of nails. At noon today the 16 stone railway worker alighted from his bed of 240 nails in the Palmerston North Convention Pavillion with an achievement destined for the Guinness Book of Records. Cottle had lain on the razor sharp 6-inch nails for 28 hours - an hour better that the last entry in Guinness. During the 28 hours he has less than 3 hours sleep and only 4 hours before lying down on the bed of nails, he had finished an all-night shift on the train. "The time has never passed so slowly," said Will, who chain smoked and drank milk during his 5 minute breaks each hour. During breaks his back was rubbed with disinfectant and methylated spirits. Two official with the syncronised watches kept watch throughout the attempt."

Identification

Object type
Image
Date
April 26, 1975
Digitisation ID
2017N_IMCA-DigitalMaster_014109
Format
B&W negative
Held In
IMCA Digital Archive

Creation

Created By
Place
The Square, Palmerston North

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