Guinness World Records

I've seen golden plover on the moors a few times but they're quite elusive. When they call, I think they sound like a creaking barn door. Today, I hid in a grouse shooting butt and a couple ventured relatively close.

Something I found out today:

In 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Breweries, went on a game shoot.

He became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe after missing a shot at the golden plover. Which was it? The red grouse or the golden plover.

He found it was impossible to confirm in reference books.

Beaver knew that there must be many, many other questions like these debated but unanswered. He realised then that a book offering the answers to this type of question would perhaps prove popular.

Later, he published the first Guinness World Records which confirmed the Eurasian Golden Plover to be the fastest game bird in Europe.