Edinburgh floor-fitter sets World Record

An Edinburgh businessman, who formed The Wooden Floor Store has completed a world record attempt to lay the highest floor in the world '“ at the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Richard Snape breaking the record. Picture; contributed

Richard Snape, originally from Northern Ireland, carried a packet of wooden flooring along the Lemosho route in attempt to break the record for the highest floor in the world.

Fighting off altitude sickness at 5,985m, Richard laid the floor, signed by donators and supporters, at Uhuru peak.

The climb has so far raised £2,300 for the Bradley Logan Memorial Fund. The charity was established after the sudden death of 10-year-old Bradley from CPVT (Catecholominergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia) who was in the same year at school as Richard’s daughter.

Despite seven months of preparation and training Richard and his team still struggled with the thinner air at the heady heights of 19,000 feet above sea level.

“We lost a guide on the way up from severe altitude sickness and another team-member got into difficulties on the descent and had to be evacuated on a stretcher,” Richard explained.

“It was extremely difficult doing anything at that altitude, just breathing was an effort , never mind laying a floor , but the support of the people back home drove me on to complete the challenge.

“We’ve sent documentation along with photo and video evidence to the Guinness Book of World Records, so we’ve got our fingers crossed that they verify it!”

The Wooden Floor Store has six outlets across Scotland and Northern Ireland; Glasgow, Paisley, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Belfast and Lisburn. Last year, the firm supplied flooring for the set of James Bond film, Spectre.