It’s 2.40pm in a field on the Isle of Man and Noel Edmonds and Gimli from The Lord of the Rings (John Rhys-Davies) are attempting to break the world record for the largest ever Pilates class.
The two men are not alone. Behind them, thousands of people, from the island and beyond, stand feet shoulders-length apart, heads held high, arms aloft, as a Pilates instructor runs through a series of movements on a big screen. The field, next to sweeping farmland and the stone tower of Corrin’s Folly on the horizon, is separated into squares and everyone has been given a T-shirt to wear to aid the count. Nearby, a Guinness World Record invigilator in a skirt suit watches on.
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