Pub's 'Nigel Night' pulls more than 400 Nigels to 'celebrate Nigelness'
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That’s a whole lot of Nigels.
More than 400 people named Nigel gathered at the Fleece Inn pub in Worcestershire, U.K., on Sept. 28 to celebrate all things “Nigel.”
The bar's event, which was appropriately titled “Nigel Night,” was put on by owner Nigel Smith, 56, and attended by 433 people with the same name, including one who flew over from Denver, Colo., and a 7-month-old Nigel brought by his parents, The Guardian reported.
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Nigel Parker and Nigel Hallett. Nigel Smith aged 56, owner of The Fleece Inn, Bretforton, Worcester, tries for a world record for the largest ever gathering of Nigels in one place with a total number of 432. (SWNS)
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“I’ve always felt that the name’s much maligned — people would say to me when I was young: ‘Nigel, that’s got to be a joke name, hasn’t it?’
“So it was really just [wanting] to get a few Nigels together in the same room, to share Nigel stories and celebrate our Nigelness — that was the original intention,” Smith told The Guardian.
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More than 400 Nigels from all over the world got together at the Fleece Inn, Bretforton, Worcs., for an evening of Nigel-themed music, drinks and entertainment. (SWNS)
Smith posted the event on the bar’s website and on Facebook, where it quickly went viral and attracted not only 400-plus Nigels, but about 1,000 people who came out “along for a laugh.” The pub owner came up with the idea after learning no newborns were named Nigel in 2016.
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All Nigels were required to prove their Nigelness with either a license or passport, and were rewarded with a free pint and Nigel badge to wear.
“We basically registered all the Nigels into the building so we knew how many were there so we could claim at least an unofficial record if nothing else,” he told the outlet.
Despite the name’s waning numbers, Smith feels the group has done a lot to help bolster the future of Nigel – there have been about 20 babies named Nigel since 2016 – and Smith is also hopeful for more Nigellas, as well.
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All Nigels were required to prove their name was Nigel, and register in the pub's book. (SWNS)
“And we’ve just taken away a little bit of that stigma and reaffirmed what a fantastic name Nigel is — once you’ve grown into it. It takes a little while.”
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The night also offered more than just a “Nigel-based playlist” and plenty of pints, for anyone wondering: The unique event raised money for the British Heart Foundation, as well.