Etc...

Keeping up with the Norbergs

Earlier this month, on a clear, chilly Friday night, 1,224 people paid $28 each for admission to the Millennium Centre in Cardiff, Wales, to see a variety show of music, dance, and comedy acts. Oh, and pop star, supermodel , and onetime movie actress Grace Jones, too. Well, OK, you say, but what's unusual about that? Quite a bit, actually. Everyone in the hall had something else in common: the same last name as the featured performer. No, it wasn't a coincidence. They were trying to set a record for the most people with the same surname in the same place at the same time, and some in the audience came from as far away as Australia to help. One couple even interrupted their wedding trip to join the fun. In fact, so many Joneses checked into Cardiff hotels before the show that employees had to differentiate them by first name or hometown. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the record in this category was set in 2004 in Sweden by 583 Norbergs . The latest effort has yet to win a ruling from Guinness, but its prospects appear good. One other note: Perhaps the most famous Jones – Tom – missed the event, even though he's from Wales. Alas, the superstar singer wasn't eligible. His surname is Woodward.