Hughes Brothers Lift The Criccieth Feat Stone
TO Criccieth, Gwynedd town, where brothers Reuben and Dafydd Hughes, are passing the hottest day of the year lifting a massive stone weighting between 25-28 stones.
Says Reuben, who works with stone walls and fencing:
“I was a bit nervous when I first saw it, but I thought that as I worked with stones almost every day I had a good chance. We both managed to do it, though Dafydd was first.”
Why do it? Well, why not. Stir some civic and national pride into stone lifting and you have a sport.
Before the brothers lifted it, the last man who attempted to raise the stone off the ground was Roger Davis, aka Fianna Clansman, from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. He’s putting stone lifting on the map by touring the country lifting the co-called Feat Stones, of which the Criccieth monolith is one. Having failed in his mission, he declared it would take “a world class strength athlete” to lift the stone.
Says Davis:
“The Criccieth Stone is mentioned in the book “The Mask of Merlin”, (a biography of David Lloyd George) as being a “test your strength stone”, and said to have inspired him to seriously enter into politics, I can honestly say that this is the most challenging stone I have ever attempted to lift. It is not necessarily the weight of the stone that makes it such a challenge” said Roger “although at my estimation it is 160 -180kg which is around 25% heavier than any of the Scottish stones, but it is the total lack of grip on this egg shaped granite stone that prevents it from being lifted.”
“I made 11 attempts at lifting the stone, losing a fair amount of skin in the process, but it was not be be, it did not budge an inch, still, in my opinion there is no shame in failure, only shame in not trying. Ultimately, I would love it if the young men of Criccieth once again remembered the old traditions and tested their strength on this stone, in fact, I am throwing out the challenge … is there a man in the whole of Wales who can lift this stone, surely someone can step up to the mark?”
If you want to lift the stone, the rules are clear:
Permission MUST be obtained from the Criccieth memorial hall before attempting a lift (whether successful or not) and must be adjudicated to make the attempt official by ‘The Guardian of the Stone’, Trevor Ray. Trevor will advise you on the rules and make all the arrangements for the lift to be made.
Rules for lifting the Feat Stone
1. Treat the stone with respect.
2. No lifting aids, straps etc may be used.
3. No “Tacky” or sticky substances.
4. Chalk may be used.
5. Replace the stone where you have found it.
6. Be proud of your attempt if you have given your best.
7. Sign the guestbook to build the legend of the stone.
Fact: Lifting the stone without bending the legs gave the town of Criccieth its name.
Spotter: June
Posted: 1st, October 2011 | In: Strange But True Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
