THIS week 46 years ago saw multiple world record attempts in Swindon.

In March of 1970, however, it seems conventional records for running, jumping and the like were seen as a bit passe and dull.

Instead, people opted for disciplines such as banana-eating, uninterrupted kissing and long-duration five-a-side football.

There was one race but it involved grown adults pushing each other at frightening speeds in prams.

The occasion was the annual Swindon College Rag Week in aid of good causes.

Of all the trials attempted, one stands out as especially gruelling.

We revealed: “A Swindon student, Andy Fraser, who downed 24 bananas in slightly more than five minutes, narrowly missed the world banana-eating record in a gastronomic Rag Week stunt at The College.

“The record is held at present by a Welshman who ate 25 in four minutes 23 seconds.”

Andy, who was also competing against five other students, managed 22 bananas in four minutes but managed only two more during the following minute and 12.5 seconds.

It is unclear what the current five-minute record is, but YouTube’s extensive banana-eating archives include a video of a young American polishing off 23 in just two minutes.

Another record attempt that week in 1970 was successful.

“At 2.10pm yesterday,” we said, “Nick Tremblin kissed Vanessa Harding. Seven hours later, at 9.10pm, he stopped kissing her.

“And the couple broke the world non-stop kissing record by a full hour.

“They started with five other couples. One couple dropped out after two hours, complaining of backache and neck ache, and 5pm saw four couples still at it.

“But one-and-a-half hours later only Nick and Vanessa remained, and at 9.10pm they called it a day.

“The old record of six hours was set by two Chelsea students last year.”

Sadly our photographer evidently lacked the stamina of the winning couple, as no image of them is in our archives.

We did take photos of two other couples. Rose Sharp was paired with Chris Oldmeadow while Helen Rogers’ partner was identified only as Sugar.

Helen brought a book to read. Another record was claimed by 12 students following an 18-hour five-a-side football marathon at a gym in Sanford Street.

As was customary in those days, there was a ceremonial kidnapping of the Rag King by students from another college.

Sociology student Richard Smith was grabbed by London University students during a rag dance at the Town Hall, shortly after being crowned alongside Rag Queen Christine O’Neil. His £2 charity ransom was soon paid.

Another popular Rag Week tradition was the registering of at least one complaint about the smuttiness of the jokes in the Rag Mag sold to the public.

As that year’s magazine was called Erotica and sex had only been officially invented a few years earlier, trouble was inevitable.

A complaint by a Mr Simmonds from Swindon prompted the old borough council’s education committee to launch an investigation.

Mr Simmonds wrote: “In order to demonstrate that the people of Swindon are not without charity, may I suggest that anybody being asked to buy this magazine should pay the money, then tear up the blasphemous filth in front of the student before it corrupts another home.”

Sadly we didn’t think to include examples of the jokes.

The week also saw us write about a young Swindonian with rather more pressing matters to think about.

We photographed him at his post aboard a destroyer.

“Now somewhere near the Straits of Gibraltar is a 19-year-old Swindon man, Able Seaman Terry Kelly.

“He is the son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Kelly, of Dorset Green, Moredon.” Terry was serving aboard HMS Decoy, a Daring Class vessel. He had attended St Joseph’s School, played for Swindon Town Juniors, boxed with the local ABA and joined the Royal Navy at 15.

We added: “In his present ship he has seen most parts of the world, including the West Indies, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore.

“He has also cruised in the Mediterranean and taken part in rescue and salvage operations.”

Back in Swindon a group of workers from Pressed Steel visited the Odeon Cinema in the town centre.

They weren’t there to see a film but to vote on a one-day strike over a pay claim.

We said: “Leaving the cinema after the 90-minute meeting, the works committee chairman, Mr Johnny Williams, said: ‘There was close to 100 percent support. There were 1,600 men and only five or six against it.’”

Outside the venue Ike and Angela Gradwell – communist stalwarts whose social justice campaigns made them familiar to generations of local people – sold copies of The Morning Star. Its headline called for the dismissal of British Leyland chairman Lord Stokes.

Pressed Steel’s current incarnation is as Swindon’s BMW plant, while the cinema became the MECA entertainment venue some years ago, following a stint as a bingo hall.