--:-- [Upbeat music plays in the background]
--:-- Host: This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Saks Off 5th is your secret to fashion's most wanted deals at up to 70% off. On the hunt for designer steals that'll turn heads and leave a trail of envy? Uncover Gucci, Valentino, Versace, Stuart Weitzman and more. With new arrivals dropping weekly at prices too good to stay confidential. Lux layers, statement boots and tailored essentials from Saks Off 5th will put your wardrobe on the most wanted list. Head to SaksOff5th.com or SaksOff5th store near you for a style lineup you won't want to miss.
--:-- [Music transitions to a new segment]
--:-- Host: Go on, get a little out there, into the big heart of Nevada, where you can go off-road and off the map, on two lakes or on horseback. Dip into hot springs and dive into deserts. Climb a mountain or make your best effort. See thousands of stars in some of the darkest skies. Stake out haunted hotels. Can you make it to sunrise? There's always something new to see, because we've got plenty of space to just be. Plan your trip at TravelNevada.com.
--:-- [Music transitions to a new segment]
--:-- Host: Hello, I'm Angela. I'm in Canada, and you're currently listening to the BBC's Happy Pod. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway, and in this edition...
--:-- Oliver Conway: We all need more connections in our lives. I feel as if I've known Angela all my life and her family. She has such positive energy and she just frightens our week. A transatlantic friendship across the generations, celebrating nature in Alaska. Success for bears is getting fat and you vote for your favourite fattest bear. Also, wacky cars, how a running club helped change lives around the world and... A record-breaking haka. All in the Happy Pod from the BBC World Service.
--:-- Oliver Conway: After last week's podcast all about young people changing the world, we start this edition with a story of friendship spanning the generations and the Atlantic Ocean. Despite living more than 5,500 kilometres apart, Angela Martin and her family in Ontario, Canada, and Anne Lucas, an 83-year-old who lives in a care home in England, have built a close bond after being introduced in July.
--:-- Oliver Conway: It's part of a project to tackle loneliness and give young people a chance to learn from their elders. The charity, Adopt a Grandparent, was established five years ago here in the UK. But after going virtual during the pandemic, it now has more than 100,000 volunteers around the world.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Angela and Anne have been chatting to the Happy Pods' Abiona Boyer.
--:-- Abiona Boyer: I was just looking for a new place for our family to volunteer and I found the Adopt a Grandparent website. They had a statistic on there that 200,000 older people haven't spoken to a friend or family member in over a month. We thought that's something we'd like to help with, at least in a little way. So we signed up and we got matched up with Anne pretty quickly.
--:-- Abiona Boyer: The lady that did the matching there, we are so grateful for her because we are so glad she matched us up with Anne, right? We just, we love getting to hear all her adventures.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Hi, who's that?
--:-- Abiona Boyer: It's your lovely daughter. I'm Caitlin.
--:-- Caitlin: Hi, Caitlin. Hi.
--:-- Caitlin: You know, it's been wonderful, and they look forward to speaking to me every Thursday.
--:-- Oliver Conway: So I say, well, right now, I will soon have to speak to Angela and family. I don't know.
--:-- Abiona Boyer: This has been really important for us. And I think also if there are lonely people out there and maybe, you know, the elders is, well, it's maybe the families that also could use more people. We all need more connections in our lives.
--:-- Oliver Conway: In fact, everybody I tell about it says they'd like to sign up also. But I mean, they're not all going to get Anne, but the matching process seems to work really well. It's through an app called the Togetherly app. And we just click on a link that we're emailed and it sets us right up to talk.
--:-- Oliver Conway: My grandparents, my relationship with them was really important to me. And we don't have any seniors in our lives now. So I thought this would be a good opportunity for us to get the perspective of someone who's lived through different experiences. But we got like more than we bargained for.
--:-- Oliver Conway: We're so lucky to be matched up with Anne because she's had ever so many adventures. She tells us all about her past and her family and her travels, and we learn all about the causes she's interested in. Lots of things. Lots of things.
--:-- Oliver Conway: We talk about everything. She sent me some lovely photographs of all her family and what they were all doing. She was always so kind to do that, and she put in a lovely little map of Canada, and it was, you know, I really appreciate that because I always look at that quite often.
--:-- Oliver Conway: I look forward to our Thursday meetings. I just really feel really grateful that we've found Anne and that the Adopt-A-Grandparent organisation was able to make this possible and we talk often about how amazing it is because, you know, we live so far apart and we never would have had the chance to meet otherwise.
--:-- Oliver Conway: It's surprising how the time's gone. I feel as if I've known Angela all my life I do, and our family They all adore Anne They're hiding right now because they're shy Otherwise they would be here with us Yeah, and Daddy's at work Yeah, Daddy's at work The boys are hiding But yeah, we all love talking to Anne and hearing her stories I mean, she is so positive She has such positive energy And she just brightens our week, really
--:-- Oliver Conway: So would you say that Angela and her wonderful family have become your chosen family?
--:-- Abiona Boyer: Well, they have. I love them all. They're really nice because she wrote me a wonderful letter. And I've got it here and she sent me photographs of all her lovely children. I am very close to them now. They're all very good looking. and Kevin, her husband, has got a wonderful sense of humour.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Well, I've got a good sense of humour.
--:-- Abiona Boyer: So many people today are so miserable and I think you've got to lift your spirits up and do things.
--:-- Oliver Conway: And Lucas and Angela Martin. And the charity says it is particularly keen to hear from elderly people who'd like to be adopted as grandparents.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Now, if you listened to the Global News podcast earlier this week, you'll be aware of the phenomenon that is Fat Bear Week. It's when the brown bears in the US state of Alaska gorge themselves in preparation for hibernation, and the public vote on their favourite, as Isabella Jewell reports.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Imagine not eating for six months. Well, if you're a brown bear in Katmai National Park, it's an annual test. Before the creatures hunker down in their dens in October and November, they're in a race to fatten up, feasting on fresh salmon, grass and berries.
--:-- Oliver Conway: But little do they know, they're also in another annual battle to win the title of Katmai's Fattest Bear. Naomi Boak co the competition Fat Bear Week is the way that we celebrate the success of the bears of the Brooks River in Katmai National Park Alaska Success for bears is getting fat because that's what they live off of during six months of hibernation and then spring where there's very little food around.
--:-- Oliver Conway: The competition is in its 10th year and has boomed in popularity, as Naomi explains.
--:-- Oliver Conway: The first Fat Bear Day, there were 1,700 votes. Last year, in 2023, there were nearly 1.4 million votes from over 100 countries.
--:-- Oliver Conway: You'll see a picture of the bears when they were skinny in early summer and fat right now. And you vote for your favourite fattest bear.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Many of those taking part in the competition are faithful followers of the live stream cameras, which broadcast in real time the activities of the bears on the reserve.
--:-- Oliver Conway: You watch these bears over years and it's like five soap operas a day. You know, sometimes people come home from work and they think, well, I'll check in on the bears. They keep watching the bears because it's exciting and you get to follow them, know them as individuals.
--:-- Oliver Conway: None of the bears are tagged, which is where visual information specialist Sarah Bruce comes in. She watches the bears at Katmai intently to identify and give each of them a name.
--:-- Oliver Conway: One of the bears along the Brooks River that I find the most recognisable right now is bear 128 grazer. She has this medium dark fur pattern, but she has these big blonde puffball ears that are really hard to miss.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Something else that's really helpful is Bear 32 Chunk. His body is shaped like a light bulb and he also has this big scar on his nose.
--:-- Oliver Conway: There were 12 bears on the ballot at the start of the competition, with their before and after weight gain pictures on the website. The difference in size is staggering.
--:-- Oliver Conway: While the park rangers can't weigh them, scientists use special technology to estimate their weight. When they come out of the den, these bears might be weighing anywhere between maybe five and 700 pounds or so.
--:-- Oliver Conway: The largest bear we've seen we think was around 1400 pounds. They can really double their weight throughout the summer for hibernation. To paint a picture, 1400 pounds or 635 kilograms is about the weight of a grand piano. Now that's a lot of salmon.
--:-- Oliver Conway: So who are this year's favourites? I asked Naomi and Sarah. I think there might be a very serious final competition between last year's Fat Bear Week champion, 128 Grazer, and 32 Chunk.
--:-- Oliver Conway: But Sarah is backing an underdog, Bear 519. She's only two and a half years old, almost three, so she's actually the youngest bear in the bracket. She's the bear that I think has changed and grown the most throughout the summer.
--:-- Oliver Conway: I don't know that a sub-adult can really beat out a bear like 32 who is 1,200 pounds, but I'm really rooting for her. Whether it's sheer size or progress that's rewarded this year, the real aim of Fat Bear Week is to shine a spotlight on the beauty of our planet.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Here's Naomi Boak again. Enjoy Fat Bear Week, celebrate the richness and the health of the Brooks River ecosystem and do what you can to mitigate climate change and enjoy nature and wildlife wherever you live.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Naomi Boak, ending that report from Isabella Jewell. And if you want to vote in Fat Bear Week or just look at the pictures, it is fatbearweek.org.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Now, I'm not the happiest traveller when confronted by delays. I mean, who is? But perhaps I could learn from the passengers whose voyage was four months late. A round-the-world cruise ship that had been stuck in Belfast since its scheduled departure on 30 May finally set sail this week.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Unlike a normal cruise, passengers had the option of buying a cabin outright, allowing them to live on board for the initial three-year tour and beyond. They're encouraged to treat it as their home, even bringing their pets.
--:-- Oliver Conway: And it seems many of the 125 passengers made the most of being delayed for the past few months. Andrew Peach spoke to Angela and Stephen Ferriak from the US.
--:-- Andrew Peach: We came late May thinking we were going to board and they ran into a few hiccups and obstacles, repairing and fixing everything, but the time has finally come.
--:-- Stephen Ferriak: That's longer than you get stuck on the International Space Station. Yeah, sounds like it.
--:-- Stephen Ferriak: We just thought that it was just a small setback and so we took off on not one cruise but two different ones during those first couple of setbacks and explored the Mediterranean for a 10-day cruise and then on a 21-day cruise up to Iceland and Greenland.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Wow. So this is two cruises within a cruise while you're being delayed on the one. You've explored half of Europe by the side of it.
--:-- Stephen Ferriak: Oh, yes. We thought we had to make the most of this adventure and it is all part of the journey, so might as well travel in the waiting.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Yeah, and I'm just wondering if anyone else that you've met had all this time to spare in the way that you clearly did have the time to enjoy yourself and do all sorts of great things.
--:-- Stephen Ferriak: I suppose if you're under more time pressure, the whole thing might have been more stressful.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Oh, sure. Well, most of the people that are joining us are either one, retired or two, they're digital nomads and they can work from anywhere. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to really choose this lifestyle.
--:-- Stephen Ferriak: So it's kind of worked out for most people. A lot of people have traveled and explored even all of Europe in the waiting and some stuck around and some even had cats so they stayed put in belfast the entire time well cats are important i'm a cat person so i get the importance of staying with your cat
--:-- Oliver Conway: and just for people who've not had this experience um steve what is the joy of being on a cruise ship why is this the way to see the world oh my gosh it's it's it's just the best going to bed at night and then waking up the next morning in just different places different countries is so relaxing as opposed to in this case where you wake up every morning and it's still belfast
--:-- Stephen Ferriak: what about other passengers have you had any contact with the other people who you're supposed to be on a cruise with
--:-- Oliver Conway: oh absolutely and we've created some huge bonds great friends we're actually hanging out here with some friends now in the lounge you know we're all in this together and this adventure so we've all formed this bond we're all travelers and adventurers at heart so we found some common ground and made some great friends
--:-- Oliver Conway: who have you got there with you
--:-- Stephen Ferriak: We have Becky and Jeff Cressy who are close by. Hi Becky and Jeff.
--:-- Oliver Conway: And Stephen, tell me what's been the best bit? So you've been on little holidays within this period of time. You've been back home to the States. You've done all sorts. What's been the best moment of this lengthy delay while you've waited for the ship to be fixed?
--:-- Stephen Ferriak: I think the best moments have been just getting together with the other residents and really creating lifelong friends here in this time of waiting.
--:-- Oliver Conway: I mean, it's been great to get to know each other in such a lovely little city. I mean, you've got to say that because you've got Becky and Jeff sitting right next to you.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Angela and Stephen Theriak talking to Andrew Peach.
--:-- Oliver Conway: And still to come on the Happy Podcast. It was just lovely, like a sense of camaraderie, like seeing other brides, just like a sense of love in the air. When you got here with all the other couples, there's all the excitement of it. Why a hundred couples got married in one venue in one day The Moto Casino, American Social Casino. Download the Moto Casino app today.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Go on, get a little out there into the big heart of Nevada, where you can go off-road and off the map on two lakes or on horseback. Dip into hot springs and dive into deserts. Climb a mountain or make your best effort. See thousands of stars in some of the darkest skies. Stake out haunted hotels. Can you make it to sunrise? there's always something new to see because we've got plenty of space to just be plan your trip at travelnevada.com
--:-- Oliver Conway: now i'd like to introduce you to meaningful beauty the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel cindy crawford it's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin meaningful beauty makes powerful and effective skincare simple and it's loved by millions of women it's formulated for all ages and all skin tones and types and it's designed to work as a complete skincare system, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth, and nourished
--:-- Oliver Conway: I recommend starting with Cindy's Full Regiment, which contains all five of her best-selling products, including the amazing Youth Activating Melon Serum. This next-generation serum has the power of Melon Leaf Stem Cell Technology. It's melon leaf stem cells encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles.
--:-- Oliver Conway: With thousands of glowing five-star reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just $49.95. That includes our introductory five-piece system, free gifts, free shipping, and a 60-day money-back guarantee. All that available at MeaningfulBeauty.com.
--:-- Oliver Conway: This message is sponsored by Greenlight. With school out, summer is the perfect time to teach our kids real-world money skills they'll use forever. Greenlight is a debit card and the number one family finance and safety app used by millions of families, helping kids learn how to save, invest and spend wisely.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Parents can send their kids money and track their spending and saving while kids build money confidence and skills in fun ways. Start your risk-free Greenlight trial today at greenlight.com slash iHeart. That's greenlight.com slash iHeart.
--:-- Oliver Conway: 20 years ago this week, a man called Paul Sinton Hewitt gathered 13 friends to run five kilometres around Bushy Park in south-west London. He was unemployed, suffering mental health issues and unable to run himself because of an injured leg.
--:-- Oliver Conway: From there, the event grew into a global phenomenon called Park Run. Two decades on, it has more than 10 million registered members across 23 countries. Charlotte Gallagher went to Bushy Park for the anniversary celebrations where I caught up with her.
--:-- Charlotte Gallagher: It has been such a good atmosphere today here, Olly. I hate to tell you, I have not run myself. I've had boots on, I've not had my trainers on, but there are plenty of people that have been running, including Wendy and Edward.
--:-- Charlotte Gallagher: Edward, how was that today?
--:-- Edward: Oh, it was lovely. The weather's great. We've had a really good run. There were plenty of people, but not too many. It was the right amount, and it was a great vibe, yeah.
--:-- Charlotte Gallagher: What is it about Park Run that makes it the event that it is? I think it's really the community. I think you can come here and you cannot know anyone, and then just over time running, you can get to know so many different people, so many different types of people and I think that's really great.
--:-- Charlotte Gallagher: And how about you Wendy, what's Parkrun done for you? We've met lots and lots of people in our local community that we didn't know before.
--:-- Charlotte Gallagher: This is my 10th year that I've been coming here now and I've started volunteering when I did my 50th run. That way I then met lots more people as well so it's been really important to us.
--:-- Charlotte Gallagher: And it's kind of incredible that it started here 20 years ago and now is this worldwide phenomenon, millions of people have done it and it's changed people's lives.
--:-- Charlotte Gallagher: Oh it's completely changed so many people's lives, It's not just the health benefit, but the social side as well. I think it's really an amazing achievement for Paul Sinton Hewitt. He should be very proud of what he's done.
--:-- Oliver Conway: People really do love Park Run, Ollie. It's a part of their weekly tradition. They do it on a Saturday morning. It really is just this phenomenon that's taken off.
--:-- Oliver Conway: And I've been speaking to the man of the moment, Paul Sinton Hewitt, who founded Park Run 20 years ago.
--:-- Paul Sinton Hewitt: My life's been changed too. So it's a wonderful story. It's everybody's in this together. We're all invited. There are many, many people whose lives have been changed because of Park Run.
--:-- Oliver Conway: I feel so grateful to be here today. We heard this morning from someone who said Park Run saved them, essentially. It saved their mental health. There's a couple that got married after meeting on Park Run. There was a lady who said it gives her time for herself because she's a carer for her husband.
--:-- Paul Sinton Hewitt: Well, they're overwhelming, really, and I get them all the time. But, you know, my story was pretty much that. I needed some respite for health and well-being. My mental health wasn't good, and Park Run was there for me. I was a volunteer to begin with.
--:-- Paul Sinton Hewitt: It's been exceptional in helping me deal with mental health issues. And the growth that you've seen, it must be amazing to see it popping up across the world. And there's prison park runs as well, and you've got 23 countries now.
--:-- Paul Sinton Hewitt: Yeah, 23 countries, 2,500 events. We've recorded 100 million finishes over those years. It's quite extraordinary. Nearly 100,000 volunteers. I mean, isn't that number just mind-blowing?
--:-- Paul Sinton Hewitt: The volunteers are the glue that make it all happen, and without them, none of this really would happen. So it's extraordinary, the stuff that goes on in Parkrun. It's just so friendly, so joyful.
--:-- Oliver Conway: What would your advice be to someone who, they might see this and think, oh, I'd like to have a go, but I've not run before. I'm not sure. Is it going to be intimidating?
--:-- Paul Sinton Hewitt: Parkrun is not about running. It's the least important part of what we do. Parkrun is about coming out, being with your friends, getting to know a lot of people. We welcome walkers. Walking is a critical part of what we do. So everybody can do it.
--:-- Oliver Conway: And I would say to you, take that first step. And that's what people have been saying to me today. If you're intimidated, if you're not sure about having a go, it's not about the time it takes you to do it. It's not about breaking records. It's just doing it and having fun.
--:-- Oliver Conway: And we've spoken to people who say it's really helped their mental health. It's essentially saved them doing this one thing every week. And you can, of course, set up park runs. If there isn't a park run near you, you can go on the website and you can try and set up one near where you live.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Charlotte Gallagher.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Sometimes a car is more than a means of getting from A to B. It can be the owner's pride and joy done up to catch the eye and bring a smile to anyone who sees it. For Sudhakar Kenya Boyuna, creating cars like that was his childhood dream. And now that dream has become a reality, as his museum has won a Guinness World Record for the largest collection of wacky vehicles.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Paul Moss asked him where the idea came from.
--:-- Sudhakar Kenya Boyuna: Right from my childhood, I've been working on bicycles to vintage cars. So then I thought I should start something like that, which is very different, because I'm not a commercial guy. And then it is just out of passion.
--:-- Sudhakar Kenya Boyuna: I started, the first car I made is a shoe-shaped car. It's come out nice and the people really liked it. And when I first had my roadshow, almost 25 years back, I was expecting a turnout of 1 2 people But the turnout was more than 100
--:-- Oliver Conway: At what point did you decide that you should turn all this into a museum
--:-- Sudhakar Kenya Boyuna: So this is just out of hobby. I've collected so many cars. Then I started the museum. The response was so good because a lot of children come to see this beautiful car. They love to see a football or a basketball or a bad car. seeing their interest, I started making more wacky cars.
--:-- Oliver Conway: What was the reaction of your friends and family? I mean, did any of them think it was, you know, just a little eccentric rather than collecting sports cars or flashy cars that people usually used to show off with?
--:-- Sudhakar Kenya Boyuna: In the beginning, people thought I'm mad. Then when people started visiting my museum and enjoying a lot of schools visit, school children, and I make cars according to their suggestions also. I made a hamburger-shaped car. Now I'm working on a pizza-shaped car.
--:-- Oliver Conway: What do you get from looking at those cars? I mean, what feeling do you get?
--:-- Sudhakar Kenya Boyuna: A lot of people feel very proud if they've got a flashy car. What's the reason you keep going? Because it sounds like an awful lot of work.
--:-- Oliver Conway: See, you can say I'm a crazy guy. I love designing. I'm still excited about working. Whatever the car I'm working, I'm excited about to see this finish. And that excitement, enthusiasm is still there. That matters, you know.
--:-- Oliver Conway: How did you find out that your museum was a world record breaker?
--:-- Sudhakar Kenya Boyuna: They approached me. I didn't approach them. I'm so lucky, you know. I think people must have seen my videos across the globe and they decided to give me Guinness World Record 2025.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Do you ever get fans approaching you and asking you to make a special car for them, one they've got in mind?
--:-- Sudhakar Kenya Boyuna: Yes, a lot of people approach me. Even for their children's birthday, also they approach me, why don't you make a cake-shaped car or a chocolate-shaped car? I don't do it. Right from the beginning, it was very clear, I don't want to commercialize this hobby.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Now my target is also about 100 wacky designs. And I think till now I made about 57, 58 wacky cars. So it will take another maybe 10 years, 12 years, 15 years. and then I'm planning to have my museum across the globe if possible because children love it. I mean, the children can't visit from all over the world, but I would like to take my museum across the globe. That's my dream.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Paul Moss talking to Sudhaka Kanyaboyina, also known as Sudhaka Yadav.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Here in London this week, love has been in the air. One of England's most popular wedding venues hosted 100 weddings in a single day to celebrate its 100th birthday, With the details, Holly Gibbs.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: The Old Marylebone Town Hall has hosted many star-studded weddings in its 100 years, including those of former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher and the actor Jude Law.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: It was also the venue for the first same-sex union in England and Wales back in 2005. But now, couples like Georgia and Connor can add their names to the list.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: It was just lovely, like a sense of camaraderie, like seeing other brides and just saying, oh, you look beautiful, congratulations. It's just like a sense of all being in it together and it's just like a lovely sense of love in the air.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: More than 125,000 weddings have taken place there. And to mark 100 years since the first, it hosted 100 back-to-back ceremonies, including civil partnerships and people renewing their vows.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: Couples were charged £100 or around $130 to be part of the day. It usually costs at least six times that amount.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: The wedding started as early as 8 o'clock in the morning and carried on right into the evening. Andy and Mel were another couple to tie the knot after 36 years together.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: It's an iconic thing to happen. And also when you get married here, you very rarely see all other bride and grooms. We're seeing eight people getting married at the same time. It's quite fun. And there's a buzz.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: When you get married to a church or a registry officer, it just tends to be yourself and that's it. You don't see anybody else. But when you get here with all the other couples, there's all the excitement of it.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: I am very happy to declare that you are now legally husbands and husbands.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: There were 43 wedding officials or registrars on hand. Couples were allowed to bring up to eight people with them and a maximum of two pets.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: Dan and Daisy bought their four-legged friend Marvin. The couple said they came as a package deal. He's every day with us. We're like a bit of a trio. Everywhere we go, he comes with us. Everything's kind of planned around him being happy.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: And the minute we actually became husband and wife, he went quite wild. So that was a nice... Yeah. You know, he's a lot more clever than I think we give them credit. So yeah, I think he did know. Yeah.
--:-- Holly Gibbs: Of course, in true British fashion, it rained all day in the capital. But that didn't stop the celebrations.
--:-- Oliver Conway: The Happy Pod's Holly Gibbs.
--:-- Oliver Conway: And if you have an unusual or funny wedding story to share, send us an email or a voice note to globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk.
--:-- Oliver Conway: We end this episode in New Zealand. where thousands of people gathered together to perform the traditional Maori haka. Men, women and children packed into the Eden Park Stadium in Auckland to join the Ka Mate Haka, made famous by the All Blacks rugby team, which involves vigorous arm movements, stamping feet and rhythmic chanting.
--:-- Oliver Conway: The event was designed to beat the world record of just over 4,000 participants held by France since 2014 with organisers saying they wanted to bring the pride of the Haka back home And an official from Guinness World Records was on hand to declare it a success
--:-- Oliver Conway: Everyone here tonight, while the official number is still being counted because it's a large number, I can safely say that you have surpassed the record to beat. Officially amazing.
--:-- Oliver Conway: And that big number was later confirmed to be 6,531.
--:-- Oliver Conway: And that's all from the Happy Pod for now. If you have a story to share, the address as ever is globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk.
--:-- Oliver Conway: This edition was mixed by Chris Hansen. The producers were Holly Gibbs and Rachel Bolkley. Our editors, Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time, goodbye.
--:-- Oliver Conway: All right. America is changing. And so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. I'm Tristan Redman in London. And this is The Global Story.
--:-- Oliver Conway: Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
