The Iron Man of Leicester

From the collection of

Media Archive for Central England
MACE is the strategic lead organisation for screen heritage for the East and West Midlands regions. An independent charity based at University of Lincoln, MACE preserves and makes accessible a collection of more than 100,000 historic moving images representative of the diverse cultures and histories of communities throughout the heart of England from the Lincolnshire coast to the Welsh border.

The Iron Man of Leicester (Central News East)

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Leicester's iron man and fitness king, Manjit Singh, takes on his latest challenge.

An irresistible combination of amazing feats of strength and a self-effacing personality made Manjit Singh from Leicester a regular fixture on Central News in the 1980s. This report begins with a quick look-back at his achievements, including a wince-inducing 'metal bar around the neck' stunt.

In this film, shot a few months after breaking the record for press-ups, he's attempting to break the record for bar dips, which, in 1987, stood at 718 in an hour. Can Leicester's hero go that extra mile once more by dipping an average of 12 times per minute?

Manjit Singh makes an attempt on the world record for dips on the bars.


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From the collection

Going the Extra Mile: Midlands Records and Stunts

A celebration of the strength, stamina and sheer bloody-mindedness of some exceptional Midlanders.
They may look like you and me, but don't be fooled - these are the people who push themselves in ways that are beyond us, mentally as well as physically. We might consider their feats of endurance (and often discomfort) foolhardy and even, perhaps, worth a giggle. But without them the world would be a far duller place. Their stunts prove that more is possible, whether the aim is to go faster or further, to last longer, or to simply to do something daft. So, whether it's press-ups or pole squatting, a bean-eating marathon - or simply a marathon - this is the place for you to enjoy the exploits of outstanding Midlanders. And you don't even have to break into a sweat (although some of the stunts may make you wince)!

17 videos in this collection

1

Taekwondo Brick Challenge

2

Midlands Draymen Challenged

3

Exploding Coffin Stunt

4

A Diet of Beans and Beer

5

Assistant Fire Eater Required

6

The Birdman of Lincolnshire

7

Large Pancake

8

Fred Burton - Record Breaker

9

16-year-old Wushu Champion

10

Pole Squat Record Interview

11

The Iron Man of Leicester

12

Shaving Stunt

13

Splits Record Attempt

14

Baked Bean Eating Record

15

Village Photograph

16

High Wire Stunt Show

17

Wing Walker

View full collection