Oyez, oyez, oyez !
Capital to host town crier competition

They were traditionally used hundreds of years ago to ring in the changes and inform citizens of important announcements. Now town criers are to make a spectacular comeback in the heart of Edinburgh's historic Old Town.

For they are to get their own tournament which is expected to attract entrants from all over the world when it is held on the Royal Mile in spring. Hundreds of spectators are expected to gather at the Mercat Cross to watch competitors from as far afield as Australia battle it out with their cries.

At least ten town criers are expected to take part in the Lord Provost's Invitational event, due to be held on March 31.

It is hoped the event will prove popular enough for it to become an annual fixture in the city calendar. The idea is the brainchild of Dalkeith man John Smith, who has spearheaded efforts around Scotland to re-enact the old art of spreading news.

Mr Smith has a flamboyant outfit featuring a tricorn hat, cape and kilt which he wears on crier occasions, and carries a bell. He said the criers and their escorts were expected to stage a parade along part of the Royal Mile in full ceremonial garb before the competition got under way.

Mr Smith said: "At the moment I know there are criers coming from Australia, Austria and Holland, who have the world champion, Rene Coupe. He has accepted an invitation to attend."

And he added: "There will be two half-hour sessions during the competition and prizes will be awarded for clarity, projection, content and the best costume." Mr Smith masterminded the staging of the first UK Town Criers Championships to be held north of the Border, when more than 30 criers descended on Kilwinning, Ayrshire, in 2002.

Mr Smith has led the Edinburgh Festival Cavalcade through the Capital in recent years, and he also led the 2002 Tartan Day parade, which featured more than 10,000 pipers, through the heart of New York. He has joined forces with cavalcade organiser David Todd - a former manager of both the Queen's Hall and the Festival Theatre - to pull together the town criers' contest.

He added: "These events are held virtually every weekend in England, from the end of March until September, and they are hugely popular. I took part in the recent Lord Mayor's Invitational in Chester, which attracted 42 criers from 14 countries around the world. Although ten criers is a relatively small number for the Edinburgh event, it is only the first one, and I certainly hope it becomes an annual fixture if it generates the huge interest I expect it to. Town criers are generally loud, gregarious people, and I expect the crowds will find them pretty outrageous."

Mr Todd added: "John has been very successful leading the cavalcade in recent years, and I'm sure this event will be fantastic - particularly as people are travelling long distances to take part. Although events like this are common in England, they've never been held in Edinburgh before. All the town criers will actually be up on the Mercat Cross, and people will be able to gather round to watch them."

Lord Provost Lesley Hinds is expected to chair a panel of judges at the criers' event, with a collection planned to be held on the day in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Cllr Hinds said: "Historically town criers performed a vital function in our communities before the rise of newspapers.

"The invitational event will allow us to highlight the significant role that they played in Edinburgh's past and also celebrate the talents of dedicated modern-day criers."

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