The 57th National Town Criers' Championship
The Town Criers pose for the camera.
The 57th National Town Criers Championship will take place on Saturday 17 October at Priory Meadow Shopping Centre and guarantees a colourful and noisy occasion!
This year the performances of the Criers will be judged on:
- Volume
- Diction
- Clarity
- Inflection
Entrants will also be judged for their fit of costume, bearing, overall appearance and use of historically relevant props.
The competition, held over 2 heats, consists of their Home Cry and one written on the subject of 'Wheels' and will be judged by 3 leading experts.
Last year Alistair Chisholm became the outright winner for the sixth time. Second and third place were very close with Peter Taunton having just 6 extra points, claiming second place over John Scholey coming third.
History of Town Criers
Town Criers were the original 'newsmen', finding their origins in the early Greek Empire as Spartan Runners.
The first criers in Britain can be found in 1066 when news of William of Normandy's invasion was passed from town to town by men employed to remind everybody of Harold's authority. As the literacy of Britain's population remained low well into the late 19th century, people came to rely on criers as a useful way of hearing about proclamations, edicts, laws and news.
Above: The ancient and honourable guild of town criers.
Oyez, Oyez, Oyez ('hark' or 'listen') became a familiar call in town squares, markets and public meeting places all over Britain, a summons for the townspeople to gather and listen to news of plague, victories in far off lands, royal births and deaths by execution.
News of the Great Fire of London in 1666 and of Guy Fawke's thwarted Gunpowder Plot against the English Parliament was spread by Town Criers.
Their position became so important that harming a Town Crier was turned into a treasonable offence!
Hastings' Town Crier
Our own Town Crier John Bartholomew!
Oyez, Oyez, Oyez
Listen to our own Town Crier's 'home cry' here! - you'll need a media player capable of playing MP3 audio files
Town Crier (.mp3 912KB)
Slideshow
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A good, loud voice is often an advantage!
Further Information: