Is this the world’s fastest brickie?

2016 update: Whilst the below video is undoubtedly impressive and a true demonstration of skilled handiwork, many of you quite rightly pointed out that the subject is not technically a brickie, as laying a brick pathway is totally different to building a brick wall using mortar. We decided to see if anybody else was worthy of the impressive title of “the World’s fastest brickie” and soon came across an amazing story about Paul Baker, an 85-year-old Wadalba man who has previously suffered a broken neck, a major hip replacement and carpel tunnel operations on both hands, who this year attempted to enter the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s fastest bricklayer.

In May last year Mr Baker attempted to lay 1,000 bricks in one hour, a target set to beat the current record of 914 bricks laid by Bob Boil in 1987 – an American man half his age. Paul got off to an amazing start, laying 400 bricks within the first half hour. However, shortly after tiredness began to take hold and once the hour was up the total number of bricks he had laid was 756, somewhat shy of the current record.

Whilst Paul fell short of entering the Guinness Book of World Records, he did surpass the American National record of 644 laid by Jerry Goodman. “I was very happy with that” said Mr. Baker following the attempt.

So perhaps not the “World’s Fastest Brickie”, but certainly worth a mention. Well done Paul! See a video of his attempt here.

Original story:

A viral video is currently doing the rounds in the construction industry, capturing what many are beginning to call the world’s fastest workman in action.

Captured on camera in Essex the bricklayer is recorded by a co-worker assembling a driveway in super quick fashion and dropping 154 bricks in the unbelievable time of just one minute 40 seconds – that’s a laying speed of more than 90 bricks a minute or 8 bricks every 3 seconds.

Is this the fastest workman in the world? Watch video below: