A MEDIEVAL tradition will be brough back to life this weekend as town criers from across the nation battle it out in East Lancashire to be named the best.
After two years of of Covid cancellations, The Town Crier British Championships 2022 will finally return as an in-person event on Saturday, May 14.
Mike Middleton, from Poulton-le-Fylde, will be representing Lancashire in The Town Crier British Championships 2022.
He is one of 12 contestants hoping to return victorious.
Rawden Kerr, who was runner up last time out, and Eliza Anderson-Watson, have organised the event.
Rawden, crier for Great Harwood, said: “They can cry about the past, the present, the future – or all three, though it has to be between 100 and 140 words.
"And believe me the criers taking part are all class entrants.
“Just to add the icing to the cake, the audience will be entertained by the well-loved and very talented Great Harwood Ukulele Band, plus, chosen members of the audience will be offered the chance to shout out the well know cry.
“Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!”
The two part event will be free to attend and will take place in two areas of East Lancashire.
The first cry, in Barnoldswick Market Square, will take place at 11am. This will involve all the criers performing their ‘home cry’ about their home town.
The afternoon cry is at Churchfield House Gardens in Great Harwood and will take place at around 2pm. This year, the second cry is ‘If I could thumb a lift on a Tardis.’
Elizabeth Anderson-Watson, previous winner and secretary of the Loyal Company of Town Criers and Crier for Barnoldswick, said: “This is a lively, colourful (and loud) happening, well worth both watching and hearing.
“A dozen of Britain’s finest Criers, many of them previous winners, are fighting it out to become this year’s British champion.
“Then there are their consorts, also dressed for the period. Wonderful spectacle, tremendous entertainment!”
Brenda Willison, chairman of The Loyal Company of Town Criers, said: “I am so pleased that there is to be an actual British Championships this year.
“After more than two years of lockdown we can now compete normally.
“Last year we had a championship based on content alone.
“‘Our Silent Cry’ competition, raised money for the Charity 'Shout' but this year voices can again be heard to see who the British Champion will be.
“Saturday will see competing Criers in Barnoldswick and Great Harwood who are both hosting this prestigious event and I am delighted that it is happening.
“Competitors will be judged on sustained volume, clarity, diction, inflection, presentation, and engagement of the audience.”
The Loyal Company of Town Criers is a country-wide organisation of Criers who can be heard at hundreds of venues, including Summer Fetes, parades, open days, official events and so on, in fact anywhere where a bit of colour and ceremony is required.
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