Caroline Barrett

EUROPE'S tallest man, Chris Greener, was in East Yorkshire at the weekend to visit the home of Britain's tallest man.

Chris, who is more than 7ft 6ins tall and takes a size 17 shoe, was guest of honour at Market Weighton's Giant Bradley Day yesterday.William Bradley, who was Britain's tallest man at 7ft 9ins, died in 1820. He is the town's most famous resident, and each year locals gather to hold a festival in his honour.

Chris, who had spent the previous night partying at the Tall Person's Conference in London, has been the town's guest of honour for the last three years.

He said: "I love it. I wander round and chat to all the visitors - I get asked all the usual sort of questions, like how tall was your mother and father, and where do I get my clothes from? it's all good fun."

Chris weighed only eight-and-a-half pounds when born, but he started to grow quickly, and by the time he was 10, he was taller than most of his teachers.

At the age of 16, he was 6ft 7in and continued to grow two inches a year.

Thirty two years ago his colleagues pestered him into entering a competition to find the tallest man in Britain.

"There are times when you get sick of having to go to all the fetes and shows, but at the end of the day it's a job.

"I'm lucky because I've got a title. I feel sorry for all the people who are 7ft, who don't have a title and are still extremely tall."

Other attractions at the day-long show, which organisers hoped had attracted up to 7,000 people, included a record attempt on the biggest conga dance, side shows, a simulated road accident rescue by the emergency services and a Full Monty show by the 'Yorkshire Dales'.

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