By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
Dale Wherton has become champion of "the Superbowl of bricklaying" - better known as the "Super Trowel".
He laid 859 bricks in one hour in the competition which took place in Hertfordshire in the East of England.
As a result of his success, he will travel to Las Vegas in the US next year to compete against other world champions in the Spec Mix brickwork 500 competition.
He remarked that:
"It's one of those things where even the world's best boxers dream of going to Las Vegas to compete and now I'm doing it to lay bricks."
For 20 years, he worked in bricklaying as a contractor, seven of them in Australia.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘