Friends have reunited to mark half a century since they broke a world record in a boat on Lancaster Canal.
David Whitaker, John Siddle, Philip Gregory, Steve Colling and Ruth Colling punted for 101 miles along the canal in August 1972 to set an official Guinness world record.
The quintet met at the Water Witch pub in Lancaster, 51 years on, for a special reunion lunch.
David, John, Philip and Steve are all originally from Morecambe and all attended the old Morecambe Grammar School (now Morecambe Bay Academy).
In 1970, the four friends decided to go punting, a method of water travel in a long, narrow boat, propelled by a long pole.
"David noticed punts were for hire on Lancaster Canal and suggested we have a day's punting," said John, explaining the story to Beyond Radio.
"The Water Witch pub was then a workshop, and a chap called David Vause lived there, made punts and hired them out. So we punted from Tewitfield to Preston.
"Afterwards I wrote to Norris McWhirter at Guinness World Records and said 'we've just punted 42 miles, is that a record?'
"Norris wrote back and said there was talk of Oxford students punting 98 miles down to London Bridge. This wasn't authenticated but he couldn't regard 42 miles as a record. So I said 'if we do 100 miles does that count?'"
So between August 28 and 31 1972, the four friends, joined by Steve's wife Ruth, punted for over 53 hours and 40 minutes starting and finishing at The Water Witch.
Then more than 50 years later, while all living in different parts of the country, they decided to meet up again at the same place where they'd broken the world record all those years before.
"I said if it's going to be a proper reunion it needs to be on Lancaster Canal," said John, who now lives in South Leicestershire.
"And the Water Witch is where the boat was made, and where it all started and finished. So we met and had a nice lunch.
"Rachel (Wright, from The Water Witch) made us very welcome and we presented a photograph to her to put on the pub wall."
The punters were joined by a friend, John Woods, whose house at Bolton-le-Sands backed onto the canal.
They'd met him during the world record-breaking punt 51 years ago when, according to John Siddle, "he kept inviting us in for cups of coffee!"
£30k campaign launched for new Lancaster community farm
Carnforth chiropodist honours her late husband with clinic fundraiser
Lancaster City Council agrees 2.99 per cent rise in Council tax share
Lancashire Police’s share of Council tax to rise by 5.4 per cent
Guys Thatched Hamlet closes suddenly after 46 years
Teenager spared jail for causing death of newborn child in Morecambe
Morecambe Town Council agrees budget and 2.46 per cent rise in Council tax share
Builders of new Lancaster housing development offer £2k cash pot to community groups
Lancaster centre welcomes mayor for opening of new community kitchen
Lancaster shop to close as high street gaming chain faces administration
Jim Bentley returns for second spell as Morecambe FC manager
Ashvir Singh Johal’s reign as Morecambe manager comes to an end
Lancaster writer's ghost story of Morecambe to be voiced by acting legend on Radio 4
Change of name announced for popular Morecambe bar
Opening announced for new Morecambe bistro inside former post office
Health watchdog report shows improvements to services at Royal Lancaster Infirmary
LISTEN: How Leo's Gym is making a difference in memory of young Morecambe boxer
LISTEN: Lancaster set to celebrate Chinese New Year
Lancaster’s Vue Cinema under new ownership
Lancaster city centre car park to close ahead of "catalyst for the development of the Canal Quarter"
