Ever since Briton Edwin Budding came up with the idea of a lawnmower in 1827, the yard-work contraptions have been getting more elaborate and hi-tech. Today, most have starter motors, headlights and cup holders.
But Budding may not have expected what Stephen Vokins would do with his creation. Vokins is set to take to the wheel of the quickest and possibly most elaborate mower yet as he bids to be the first man to travel over the 100mph (160kph) mark on board one.
The current world record stands at 80.79mph (129kph) - set by American Bob Cleveland at Bonneville Salt Flats in the US in 2006 - but Vokins, a motoring journalist and archivist at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, England, plans to add on at least another 20mph when he attempts the record next February.
The 49-year-old admits that his record attempt has been met with laughter but he is deadly serious.
"When I first mentioned it to people, I suspect they thought I'd had too much [to drink]," he said, "but people are beginning to realise how serious we are. Of course we're going to make it a lot of fun and as British and eccentric as possible, but we're also extremely focused and serious about getting the record."
Carrying on the British theme, Vokins and his Project Running-blade team will not travel to Bonneville - the home to virtually every land-speed record of late - but head to the traditional home of land-speed records, Pendine Sands in Wales.
It was at Pendine where Donald Campbell first made a name for himself with Bluebird, a car that is now housed where Vokins works in Beaulieu, by clocking 150mph (240kph) over the seven-mile stretch of sand. But the history is only part of Vokins' decision to hold the record there.
"History is one of the keys for us and [Lord] Montagu of Beaulieu [owner of the museum] has already said he plans to put our lawnmower next to Bluebird in the museum after the record, which will be great," he said. "But that's not the sole reason for doing it at Pendine.
"We're aiming to wrest the record away from the Americans and want to make it as British as possible, which means a British driver, a British team and a British venue. And we're even planning to have butlers serving tea at the start and finish as well.
"Also, the mower lends itself to colder temperatures so February in Wales should do the job nicely."
A serious heart condition gave Vokins the inspiration for this record run. He had successful surgery last year to treat a congenital heart defect.
"But that second lease of life has given me a desire to go for the record, and why not?" says Vokins. "I never thought of myself as a land-speed record man but it's just happened that way."
An as-yet unnamed manufacturer is already in the early stages of building the mower. The identity of the builder will be revealed at the official launch in October. The mower will boast up to 50hp but tellingly will also be able to cut grass, a key factor in the project leader's mind.
"I didn't want to just get on board a Ferrari with shears on the front," he said. "I wanted to make sure it was a proper mower that can cut grass and we'll cut some grass on it before the record attempt. The only difference from a conventional mower is that it just travels a lot faster."
He has yet to swap tips with Cleveland, the current record holder, and is not even sure if Cleveland knows about his record attempt.
"I'm sure I'll get in contact with Bob nearer the time to talk about the record," he said. "But we're confident we'll comfortably beat his record, although that's not the sole aim.
"We don't want to just travel at 83mph. If we did that, it'd be a failure. We want to crack the 100mph mark and only then will it be a success."
There are plans for children's books to stem from the record, a big bit of which is aimed at raising money for charity.
Vokins hopes to be able to give both charities a big "thank you" in February through his fundraising efforts, although faces one other stumbling block, his own health.
He has currently been diagnosed with ME, a debilitating illness that leaves him bereft of any energy. "It can be bad," he explained, "but I'm learning to deal with it. It won't be a problem ? for starters I'm not running, I'm just driving. It's just I don't feel as full as beans as I'd like."
The irony that Vokins looks set for his own place in history alongside the likes of Donald Campbell are not lost on him and have undeniably left him a bit giddy.
"I never thought I'd get my own slice of land-speed history but it's looking that way," he added.
motoring@thenational.ae
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WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
- Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
- Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
- Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match
- Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
- Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
- Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
South Africa squad
: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
Newcastle United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Tottenham (Alli 61'), Davies (70')
Red card Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle)
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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Rajasthan Royals 153-5 (17.5 ov)
Delhi Daredevils 60-4 (6 ov)
Rajasthan won by 10 runs (D/L method)
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
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UAE gold medallists:
Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
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