All those of a piratical persuasion should hie to Penzance [in Cornwall] on Monday 26th May to take part in the world record attempt to amass the greatest number of people dressed as pirates, a record currently held by Hastings.

http://www.piratesontheprom.co.uk/

They're aiming at getting 20,000 people there, and if that's not enough, there's going to be a performance of the Pirates of Penzance in the evening.

who says nothing happens in Cornwall?

What happens in Cornwall stays in Cornwall!

Ann - I expect to see photos of you dress as a pirate princess!

This looks like fun!

adrienne - we will be in Valencia, but DS is thinking of going.

it is definitely something to be taken seriously - only those wearing proper pirate costume will be allowed to participate:

<<To enter the Pirate Count site you must be dressed as a pirate.

This can be as simple as black skirt or black or striped trousers rolled up. A white or striped top, a pirate style hat, bandana or ready formed zandana.
You must also have at least two accessories from the following list;
eyepatch,hook,Spyglass, compass, sword or cutlass, pirate pistol, cummerbund or sash
On the other hand you may want to dress in the full pirate garb, either costume or authentic clothing. Maybe a parrot, ship's cat, scupper rat (alive, stuffed or toy)>>

last time they did it, real parrots were in evidence, which fortunately were not eaten by real cats [or rats.]

Ty for the heads-up Ann. Will encourage my brother to participate now he lives down there.

"They're aiming at getting 20,000 people there, and if that's not enough, there's going to be a performance of the Pirates of Penzance in the evening."

Annhig, dare I ask - do they expect 20,000 locals? If not, where would these "pirates" stay? Sounds like fun though...

Is it OK if I show up as Mabel and sing "Poor Wandering One?"

That is absolutely my favorite G&S. Saw as an incredibly fey Tim Curry as Pirate King in London - and Kevin Kline as an incredibly hammy one in NY (but better footwork in "Catlike Tread" perhaps since he is so much taller).

Wish I cold be there!

Annhig, dare I ask - do they expect 20,000 locals? If not, where would these "pirates" stay? Sounds like fun though...>>

locals plus some tourists who will be down here for half-term [a mid-term week-long school holiday in the UK to co-incide with yet another spring bank holiday]

They are going to be laying on extra coaches on the trains to cope with the crowds of people descending upon PZ!

Is it OK if I show up as Mabel and sing "Poor Wandering One?">>

only if she dresses as a pirate, St Cirq- the scrutineers for the Guiness book of records are very strict!

Do they also have a Pirate arrrrrrt festival.

tom -there are even workshops to teach you to talk like a pirate!

a vast there, me 'earties.

bad news - they missed the record by a mere 77. unfortunately it rained in the morning which probably put a lot of people off, but it was sunny in the afternoon.

After the official count, DS stayed on to watch the performance of Pirates of Penzance, which he said was very good, and included 2 renditions of the famous G&S patter song "i am the very model of a modern major general" because they said that the first time round, it wasn't fast enough!

shame we missed it.

As I was going to St. Ives I met a pirate with 77 wives. Should have pointed him toward Penzance.

It is curious how murdering, rampaging, thugs have become romanticized through the years.

Blame it on Raphael Sabatini, Errol Flynn and <i>Captain Blood</i>.

Are there bonus points if one is born on 29th February?

Well -

The Pirates of Penzance are actually all sons of gentlemen - if you stay until the end of the show - and they never actually do anything piratical except try to marry the Major General's daughters.

And don't they always do the patter song twice? Every time I have seen it they do it once and then someone (the Pirate King?) says now do it really fast!

The Pirates of Penzance are actually all sons of gentlemen - if you stay until the end of the show -

Operative word remains 'show'. I guess Somali pirates are different.

And don't they always do the patter song twice? Every time I have seen it they do it once and then someone (the Pirate King?) says now do it really fast!>>

i confess to having only seen TPOP once, so I am not an expert, nyt - you may well be right that someone always says they need to sing it faster.

>>>>>>It is curious how murdering, rampaging, thugs have become romanticized through the years.

Some kept a higher standard, like Blackbeard (formerly Edward Teach) from the Wiki: "A shrewd and calculating leader, Teach spurned the use of force, relying instead on his fearsome image to elicit the response he desired from those he robbed. Contrary to the modern-day picture of the traditional tyrannical pirate, he commanded his vessels with the permission of their crews and there is no known account of his ever having harmed or murdered those he held captive."