PERFECT weather, a good turn out and 13 competitors vying for the top spot made Alcester’s famous Town Crier competition a truly wonderful occasion last week.
Judged for clarity, diction and volume – with marks lost for straying off the text – this year’s contest saw town criers from across the region battling it out.
The contestants included two women taking on the men.
In the end it was Adrian Holmes, town crier for Sandwell, who took the top spot ahead of last year’s winner Peder Nielson, of Bromyard, with Lichfield’s Ken Knowles third.
The prize for the best dressed crier went to Anthony Evans, from Nailsworth.
Organiser of the event, Vaughan Blake, said: “It was a really colourful spectacle and I think everyone enjoyed taking part.
“This was the first event in what is a championship year for town criers and who have somewhere to compete practically every week.”
Each crier had to make two speeches of a given length, the first about the town the represent, the second one chosen by the host town, and this year the Alcester theme was William Shakespeare.
“I believe the important thing is not to shout out the words but have some flow and continuity to what they are saying,” said Mr Blake.
“And it’s a great pity they don’t get marks for content as there were some very witty speeches made.”
