Geoff Capes, who stood 1.80 meters tall and weighed more than 26 stone, was described as “a powerful figure who has earned international respect as a shot putter”. Guard: Won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in 1974 and 1978 and represented Britain at three Olympic Games; but he became much more widely known in the 1980s as Britain’s Strongest Man (a title he won in 1979) and the World’s Strongest Man (in 1983 and 1985). He was later seen regularly on British television screens throwing cars, dragging lorries and smashing phone books.

He said that Capes, who was a frequent guest on the “Record Breakers” program, entered the Guinness Book of Records by throwing a 146 ft brick. Daily Telegraph. He won the World Highland Games five times and was Scottish Highland Games champion seven times. When he wasn’t flexing his enormous muscles, he trained budgies. He became interested in birds while working for Cambridgeshire Police in the 1970s. Sent to arrest a man for failing to pay a fine, he noticed his collection of lovebirds and they had a “nice chat” about them over a cup of tea. “It seemed so embarrassing that after the conversation was over I suddenly remembered what I was supposed to do,” he recalled.