High honours 

 Britain's tallest man is now looking for his counterpart in Canada.

Forget about cracking one-liners about how the air is up there. The man who holds the Guinness World Record as the U.K.'s tallest man has heard them all -- and then some. "The thing with tallness is people are intrigued by it, but at the same time, people have to understand they're not the first ever person to (ask), 'How tall are you?' or a silly joke (like) 'What's the weather like?'" Neil Fingleton said yesterday. "Tall people have heard it a thousand times, and it's just not funny," he added, laughing.

 Fingleton, 26, stands seven-foot-seven and was seven feet tall before age 11. The world's tallest human, Leonid Stadnyk of Ukraine, is nearly a foot taller at eight-foot-five. American Sandy Allen is the tallest woman at seven foot seven. Fingleton and Guinness World Records editor Craig Glenday are in Canada this week to promote the launch of the new edition of Guinness World Records 2008, a compilation of record-breaking achievements including the most rhinestones on a body and the largest dog wedding ceremony. They're also searching for Canada's tallest man. Individuals can go to the Guinness website to register their height and some candidates will be measured on Guinness World Records Day, Nov. 8. Last year, more than 100,000 people around the world united in attempts to break records large and small in the second annual event. 

Competing for the crown is a tall order. Since the spine compresses during the day, individuals vying for the title must be measured six times in one day -- three times lying down and three more standing up. An average of the measurements is taken to earn the distinction of tallest man.