Graspable Extremities Online
The Handlebar Moustache Club
The Handlebar Club News and Events of 2012

It's that time again!
Movember MOments

Member Tom Cutler talks to Radio Sussex about Movember
Member Tom Cutler talks to Radio Sussex about Movember

MOvember Moments with the Handlebar Club are here again, and hot off the press is this Radio Sussex interview below. Tom Cutler talked to breakfast show host Neil Pringle about growing moustaches and what young ladies do to him in railway stations.


Powered by XSPF Player
Click on the small triangular play button in the player above to start. (Requires Adobe Flash, duration 3m 48s)
iOS visitors please click below

The Parsons Family!

Leo Parsons
Leo Parsons born 7th June weighing 6lb 10oz
Leo Parsons
Leo Parsons born 7th June weighing 6lb 10oz
Leo Parsons
Leo Parsons born 7th June weighing 6lb 10oz
Leo Parsons
Leo Parsons born 7th June weighing 6lb 10oz
Keri and Steve Parsons at the IOW AGM in April
Congratulations to Keri and Steve Parsons!

Keri and Steve Parsons have announced the birth of their perfect baby boy Leo Parsons on 7th June weighing in at 6lb 10oz, in an ‘easy’ 90 minute birth. It is said that Leo was born blessed with an identical handlebar moustache to his father - can it be true?

Is this really a moustache?

Ram Singh Chauhan of India is the proud owner of the world's longest moustache
Click the picture to read the whole article

Those good people at Guinness World Records seem to think this jovial gentleman has the world's longest moustache. At Graspable Extremities editorial office we think it's a beard! What do YOU think? Now tell the BBC News Magazine at the foot of their article.

So they told the BBC why they love their Moustaches

Why do they love their Moustaches (which are not beards!)
Why do they love their Moustaches?
Click image for the whole article

The above item in BBC News Magazine has prompted readers - some of whom you'll surely recognise - to post pictures of their own glorious hirsute appendages of the upper lip with Graspable Extremities. Read the new article in BBC News Magazine.

David Dade

Newest member of the Handlebar Club extended family

We start 'em young! Frederick Turner - click on the picture to enlarge
Fred - Newest member of the Turner Family
Click the picture to enlarge

Member Glen Turner has sent us a delightful family photo. He said:

My wife Jane gave birth on Tuesday 28th Feb at about 11pm-ish, after a sudden, unplanned and impromptu home birth, to a baby boy, 6lb 2oz, who we've named Frederick (he was 6 days early)”.

Jane was fantastic and both she and Fred are home and doing fine. I can't claim any midwife credit, Jane deserves all the acclaim. Eliza slept through it all.

Eliza is their first child who attended the AGM in York last year aged about 1.

Steve Parsons

Another Handlebaby

Like father - like son. Young Jackson is impatient to emulate his dad, club member Mick. Click the picture to enlarge
Like father - like son. Jackson is impatient to emulate his dad, club member Mick

Handlebar Club member Mick and his partner Vikki also delighted Club members, friends and wives at the AGM with their bouncing bundle of joy, young Jackson. We wonder if Jackson and Fred (above) will be meeting on a First Friday in the Windsor Castle Astro-Pub in 20 years time?

Club Member stars in music video

 - Click here to play
Dreamin' - Mr Pickle and the Junkshop Quartet

Member Mike “Mr Pickle” Stocks has released a music video for one of his songs on YouTube. Mr Pickle says:

It's a little bit vaudevillian and bizarre, and will hopefully amuse you! The moustache obviously steals the show, followed closely by the monkey puppet musicians and my dog, Gilbert...

Not to be missed! Watch it in Full-screen HD if you can...

From The Forum

Remembering
Alf Jarrald

Alf Jarrald - a really great character
Alf Jarrald - a really great character

We are sad to announce the death of one of our ‘elder statesmen’, Alf Jarrald, on Tuesday 2nd May in Manchester. He was in his nineties. Jane, his daughter, said that the club meant so much to him and he was so proud of his tie.

Our condolences go out to his children and grandchildren. Those of us who knew him and have missed him over the last years, will continue to do so- a really great character.

Rod Littlewood remembers Alf Jarrald in this Obituary

BBMC makes £2416 for charity

£2416 was raised at the BBMC event, and donated equally to the Martlets Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Support  Original Photo © Newsquest Media
£2416 was raised for Martlets Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Support
Original Photo © Newsquest Media

The British Beard and Moustache Championships held in Brighton on September 15th 2012 raised £2416 for charity and the donation was split equally between the Martlets Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The presentation was made to Rob Moon of Macmillan Cancer Support and Antonia Shepherd of the Martlets Hospice by BBMC chairman David Dade and a thatch of furry-faced friends in Brighton on December 21st 2012.

Macmillan Cancer Support
Martlets Hospice
The Argus

Well I'm blowed!

Limited edition Handlebar tissues
Spied at the chemist's

Just in time for MOvember, this entertaining special-edition box of tissues spied at our local Chemist's features three different Handlebar Moustaches. These tissues would also make an ideal stocking filler for the Gentleman who knows a thing or two about growing a Handlebar Moustache - and at a price not to be sneezed at...

Club Members win
ten BBMC trophies!
“It's a Roaring Success!”

Winners of the Natural Moustache category - Photo: © Rick Harrison / FortyBelowZero.com 2012
Natural Moustache: 1st Chris Wall (c)
2nd Ron Polton (l) | 3rd Paul Lewis (r)
Click on the picture to enlarge

The first British Beard and Moustache Championships at Brighton Dome - Corn Exchange on September 15th 2012 was a sell-out success! The two organising clubs, The British Beard Club and the Handlebar Club are astonished and delighted by the huge response and warm good wishes and thanks we've had from the hundreds of spectators and contestants who came to the event.

It seemed like all the world's media photographers and camera crews had converged on Brighton to report the hairy happenings, which started with a noisy parade of contestants around the jewel of Brighton's Regency heritage, the Royal Pavilion.

The Corn Exchange was full to the brim with cheering audience members, and everyone had a really great and memorable day they'll remember for a long time, and they have told us so. We saw a wonderful variety of facial hair styles, from the elegant through to the fantastic, and the competition was very stiff, which in many of the categories was quite literally true!

Britain's best Handlebar Moustaches and Full Beards were the most hostly contested styles and all the contestants in all the categories put on a really great show. Members competing from the Handlebar Club brought home ten trophies, including three 3rd prizes, four 2nd prizes and we have two new 1st prize British Champions; Jonathan Van Halbert in English Moustache, and Michael Bates in Sideburns/Muttonchops.

Most honourable mentions are also due for 2nd prize winners Ron Polton, Robbie Humphries, Dan Sederowsky and Guy Heathcote, and notable 3rd prizes to Paul Lewis, Ben Wykes, Barry 'Fingers' Copson and Steve Parsons. Visit the BBMC Web site soon for full Championships results and hundreds of photos and videos on the BBMC Facebook, Flickr, Youtube and Twitter pages.

British Beard and Moustache Championships

The Tweed Run

Barry is lent a helping hand. Click the picture for a slideshow
Barry is lent a helping hand.
Click on the picture for a slideshow

On Sunday 6th May Conrad Amis and Barry "Fingers" Copson were lucky enough to be taking part in The Tweed Run. Barry reports on the event:

For those of you not familiar with it, it's a 12 mile cycle around central London with one added twist. All participants must be dressed of course in tweed. Starting with a photo shoot for the 500 cyclists at the Royal Albert Hall, we set off at 11am from South Kensington through Hyde Park and on to Piccadilly. We then took in Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament and then had tea and cakes at the Imperial War Museum.

A few more photos and then through Smithfield's, St Pauls and to finish at a pub in Islington, to take part in a few very important competitions. Best dressed Chap, Best dressed Lady and of course the Best Moustache to be judged by Murdocks the barbers.

There was a splendid selection of whiskers, some with beards and three of us wearing the Club tie. One fellow, a friend of the club, with his beard. [Eh? Ed.] Unfortunately I don't know his name, as I say we had started drinking by then.

The whole event is for charity and for those of you who would like to see more pictures, go to their Facebook page. Above are some of my pics of the assembled 'tash' competition. And it is with great pleasure I can announce that our very own 'T.V.'s Mr Amis' won. Look out all of you who will be attending Brighton, the gauntlet has been thrown.

Barry Copson

Are YOU the owner of some of the fine facial hair shown in these photos?
Tell us which is yours and we'll add your name.

Do you Sarah, take this Handlebar?

Sarah and Paul after the service. Click the picture to see her charming attendants
Sarah and Paul after the service

She did indeed. Sarah and Club member and WBMC 2007 1st-place winner Paul were married in early December. Sarah says:

Paul and I met in 1983 when we were at secondary school together. We have been a couple for six years. We were married at St Mary Magdalen RC Church in Brighton on December 3 and the wedding reception was at the King Alfred Ballroom in Hove. We were evacuated due to a fire alarm, which was fun. All the guests had false moustaches and the wedding cake, made by a friend, featured icing moustaches on it.”
The wedding cake made by a friend featured icing moustaches
Grasp a slice of this!

Arctic Ice attacks Håkon's Handlebar

The dangers of arctic weather conditions for the handlebar moustache
Club member Håkon Anda
at -10C in Norway

Håkon Anda, overseas Club member from Klepp Stasjon, Norway is an avid walker. Håkon says;

“It's winter in Norway. Yesterday night I walked 17 km in -10 degrees centigrade. This act harmed my moustache, but after a shower my tach was okay again! Wish you, and all in The Handlebar Club a very merry Christmas!”

Send us another picture taken after the shower, Håkon, so that we know your Handlebar is safe!

Håkon Anda on Facebook

A Handlebar for Christmas?

Barry Copson as you've never seen him before
Barry Copson as never seen before!
Click the picture to see the Selfridges video

This might not be your usual Christmas if Selfridges have anything to do with it. Their Christmas video by Bruce Weber features not only the one and only Barry 'Fingers' Copson, BBMC Prizewinner but also one of our other BBMC Prizewinner brothers from The British Beard Club. Can you name him?

Play the video

TashAlaska is now online

Tashalaska
Click the logo above to watch the trailer!

We were delighted to have Tessa Morgan and Helen Murphy, Co-producers of Tashalaska on our Judging Panels for The British Beard and Moustache Championships. Tessa has told us:

It was a really great event and we had a brilliant time judging some great facial hair! From experience of watching these things in action we know how much hard work it is for everyone behind the scenes so congratulations... it was a massive success!”

To celebrate their judgemanships at the first ever BBMC, Tashalaska have launched their film online for the princely sum of £2.99 (limited time only)! Find out what it takes to have the best facial hair in the world here ... www.tashalaska.com

Whiskers at the GBBF
Thursday 9th August

The Great British Beer Festival
The Great British Beer Festival

The Handlebar Club, in conjunction with our good friends of The British Beard Club, are proud to announce our first ever outing to the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) this summer, taking place at Kensington Olympia, London. Featuring over 800 British and foreign beers, as well as food, music and beer-related paraphernalia, the festival is a well-established and extremely popular event.

Entrance for Members and Guests will be £8 each (or £6 for CAMRA members – but let us know your membership number) and it will be open until 10:30pm. The British Beard Club suggest we meet early evening. If you’re interested - and why wouldn’t you be? - then please email us by 22nd July.

Lastly, note that Thursday is officially designated ‘Hat Day’ by the Festival organisers, so feel free to dress appropriately. In other words, dare to wear your wildest headgear...

Conrad Amis

Gary's 4000 mile Handlebar pilgrimage

Gary (far right) with the usual crowd
Gary (far right) with the usual crowd
The Handlebar Club Team of the Day
The Handlebar Club Team of the Day
Rocky and Gary pose for the camera
Rocky and Gary pose for the camera
Gary and his new-found fr– er... members
Gary and his new-found fr–  er... members

Handlebar Club member Gary Schnell was so moved by his first trip to a First Friday at club HQ, the Windsor Castle pub, that he put quill to parchment and sent us this poem inspired by his visit. Gary came all the way from Oakes, North Dakota (around 4000 miles or so) with his wife Vicki and son Doug - now that's commitment !

2012 AGM in Ryde, IOW
‘a vibrant affair’

The AGM was teeming with people
The AGM was teeming with people

Last year’s Handlebar Club AGM was on April Fool’s Day, this year’s was on Friday 13th but nothing unlucky happened and a wonderful time was had by all. This was another mammoth-attendance year, with some 60 members, friends, wives, partners, sons and daughters all turning up. So many was it that people had been distributed between two hotels, one of which had an annexe over the road, accessible either by key or easily forgettable number combination. We were at Yelf’s hotel and after booking into our room at the top of a flight of narrow stairs I made my way down to the bar for a curtain raiser before the AGM.

Read more...
Tom Cutler

The Handlebar Club’s Got Talent

Conrad's cameo on Britain's Got Talent
Conrad's cameo on Britain's Got Talent

The Handlebar Club were proudly represented on primetime television programme Britain’s Got Talent recently, when member Conrad Amis featured among a montage of some of Britain’s more colourful constituents. Filmed at Handlebar headquarters the Windsor Castle pub in London, the intrepid chap was grilled with all sorts of questions about Britain, talent and whether Britain’s got talent, until our man began to realise a theme was developing.

The episode was shown on Saturday 14th April, rather inconsiderately in the middle of our AGM dinner on “The Island”.

'Arrers Away in August
The Charity Darts Match

The annual charity challenge between the Pipe Club of London and The Handlebar Club
Darts will fly between PCoL and HBC

Alan "Rocky" Rockliffe, member of both The Handlebar Club and of the Pipe Club of London has arranged the Annual Charity Darts Match this year back at Thatcher's Arms, Warley Street, Great Warley, Brentwood, Essex, on Saturday morning of 18th August 2012. The throwing starts around 11:30 - 12.00pm, and as usual there will be a raffle in aid of CDLF, Children's Liver Disease Foundation.

Graspable Extremities of 2011

Graspable Extremities of 2011
Graspable Extremities of 2011

Remember Movember 2011? What happened about Harriet's Marathon bid? What about the 13-year-old member? Where in the world were Jonathan, Andy and Tom? Read all about what we did in 2011 here.