Town Criers

Before social media, before television, before radio, before newspapers – before most people could even read – how did people get their news? Well, they heard it through the grapevine, or if they were lucky enough to live in a sizeable town, they heard it from the Town Crier. He (and it was usually – though not invariably – a man) was appointed as the conveyor of official and unofficial bulletins to the local community. Equipped with a bell for attracting attention and a loud voice, colourfully dressed town criers were a common sight right up to the early years of the 20^th century. So have they died out in this age of instant electronic communications? Not at all. In fact, in some places they’re enjoying quite a revival.

Town Criers today have few, if any, official duties. Instead they are used to add colour and a historical touch of theatre to local events and civic occasions. Their value to the tourist industry can be illustrated by the fact that one of the techniques that Salisbury used to encourage people to visit after the Novichok incidents was to appoint its first ever Town Crier.

At the end of the19th century fifteen towns in Somerset had an official Town Crier. Nine of those still have Criers: Axbridge, Chard, Clevedon, Frome, Glastonbury, Somerton, Wellington, Wells and Yeovil. Axbridge is notable for having had a female crier, Yvonne Chamberlain, for 40 years. Once voted Best Dressed Lady in the World at a competition in the Isle of Wight, she died earlier this year at the age of 86. However, the other six: Bridgwater, Bruton, Castle Cary, Langport, Martock and Weston-super-Mare, seem to have lost them. By contrast, several places that did not have a Town Crier then, have appointed one of their own in recent years. They include Burnham on Sea, Crewkerne, Ilminster, Minehead, Porlock, Shepton Mallet and Watchet. Perhaps more Somerset towns should consider the value of reinstating a much-loved tradition.