Devizes’ Town Crier wins National Championship in Rye

I arrived in Rye as a town crier with two months in the job. I left as the winner of the 73rd National Town Criers’ Championship, still slightly stunned and with a new title to consider: Disney Dowager.

My footwear may have added to the title. I had chosen high-heeled, green, glittery boots. The cobbles soon made me question that decision, but the compliments from women around my age made the wobbling worthwhile. One woman told me I was like a Disney princess for older women. “Disney Dowager?” I suggested, she laughed and said “Disney Queen!”… I’ll take either.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my role and what it means to both me and the community, I want to respect the past but also with an eye to the future I don’t wish to just be a tourist attraction I want to effect change and inspire both young girls and older women like me. I want older women to know they can still take up space, make themselves heard and refuse to become invisible. Being Devizes’ first female Town Crier is one way I can do that, preferably in glittery boots no matter how much they hurt!

As well as my flashy footwear my beautiful bespoke nature inspired tricorn By Nellie Pitts of The Hatstand Millinery also made it’s first appearance.

My handsome consort and husband, Moray Macdonald, deserves special mention. He held my hand as I negotiated the cobbles, while also braving the peal of hand bells and the drums despite the risk of aggravating his tinnitus. He is always a brilliant support to me and I’m so grateful for that.

The competition took place in the Gun Gardens beneath Rye’s ancient Ypres Tower. I was one of only three women among the 15 criers. Our task was to give two cries, a home cry and a themed cry. The three “OYEZ! ” and “GOD SAVE THE KING!” are an obligatory part of the 120-word limit.

For the Home Cry, I had the easy task of celebrating Devizes. Rye and Devizes turned out to have some things in common: both are hilltop towns with a history of smugglers. Rye had its smugglers; Devizes has the Moonrakers, who, as we know, were caught raking out contraband booze by the excisemen so pretended to be stupid yokels who had mistaken the moon’s reflection for a giant cheese which they were trying to retrieve!

The judging considered volume, clarity, diction, content and inflection: not simply how loudly you can call, but how clearly and expressively you can make a cry land. After lunch at the famous Mermaid Inn, we processed back to the gardens for a fun “Have a Go” section, where kids and members of the public were allowed to try and ring a bell and shout OYEZ!

Then came the final themed cry, “Service”. I was glad to include a thank you to the RNLI. With Rye so close to the sea, it felt an especially fitting place to recognise those who risk their lives to help others.

As the result were read out, I had convinced myself I wasn’t going to win, I was up against some very experienced and talented criers many of whom had won a few times including Calne’s Town Crier Mark Wylie . So, you can imagine my ‘flab’ was very much ‘ghasted’ when my name was called out, ( I may have issued an expletive!). To win against such strong competition, particularly after such a short time in the job, felt like a huge achievement. The other criers could have made a newcomer feel out of her depth; instead, they were warm, kind and encouraging throughout. I felt welcomed by them from the start.

My thanks go to Paul Edward Goring and his deputy Town Crier, Annabelle Ansell, who also did a brilliant job as MCs throughout the day, their throats must have been shredded! Thanks also to Rye Town Council; and to photographers KT and Martin Bruce and Tony Ham for capturing the weekend.

Devizes has a special place in the story of the national championship. On 23 February 1912, the town’s Market Place hosted the first Town Criers’ Championship of Great Britain. It was known as the “Battle of the Bellmen”, after Billy Law, Horsham’s town crier, challenged criers from across the country to test their voices. Thousands turned out to watch, and Law won the title, along with a championship bell and a £5 prize.

More than a century later, I am proud to add my voice to that history and represent Devizes. I hope the championship returns one day, with the Market Place filled again with criers, bells and crowds celebrating the character and history of our varied towns. The “Battle of the Bellmen” would sound rather different now: nearly a third of the around 250 UK town criers are women, including Marlborough Town crier Emma Kimber, so there would be plenty of bell women among the voices ringing out across Devizes.

Oh and before you ask yes of course, I took my trophy to bed!

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