Dartmouth Town Crier wins ‘Best Dressed Crier’

PRESS RELEASE FROM TOWN CRIER LES ELLIS

The Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers National Competition took place on 4^th August 2018 at Castle Hill, Windsor on the lawn of the outer moat, next to Salisbury Tower.

Gracious permission was granted by her Majesty for the event to take place and this was the first time in living memory that an event was staged at this location.

The competition is an annual event held in a different town each year.

38 criers took part from all over the country and included two criers from Australia.(Victor Harbor and Lane Cove, Sydney)

The ‘cry’ in the morning was a home cry and the subject for the ‘cry’ in the afternoon was ‘A Celebration’. Criers have to write their own cries of no more than 125 words including the opening words ‘Oyez, Oyez, Oyez’ and finishing with ‘God saveThe Queen’.

The winner of the competition was Christian Ashdown from Haselmere, Hampshire,

Second was Mark Wylie from Calne, Wiltshire,

Third was David Hinde from Helmsley, North Yorkshire.

The winner for Best Dressed Crier was Les Ellis-Dartmouth.

The Best Dressed Consort was Lillian Heeks from Trowbridge, Wiltshire and

The Best Dressed Couple were Peter and Joan Dauncey from Melksham.

I was wearing my new regalia made by local seamstress Sophie Tope.

The cost of the regalia was funded mainly by Dartmouth Town Council, South Hams District Council, Dartmouth Rotary Club, with other donations from Mr David Cawley, Mr David Kelland and Mr Chris Jeffries.