De Izegemse Belleman

Dear Town Criers and Escorts,

Please find on http://www.pfhconnect.co.uk/towncrier.html an invitation for 100 criers plus escorts to attend a
World Town Crier Tournament
from 27 July to 03 August 2012
in the happening city of Hull in East Yorkshire.

We have 100 double rooms, all in the same hotel, located 300 yards from both Hull's train and bus station. The hotel is also located within 600 yards of the city centre where local rounds of the competition will take place.

Travelling to Hull could not be easier. For travellers arriving on long haul flights we have a direct train link to Hull from either Kings Cross London in the south, or Manchester in the north.
The regional Humberside airport is located 15 miles away with a bus or taxi service.
For travellers arriving from Europe, two ferries arrive daily in Hull, one from Holland and one from Belgium.

You will see from the invitation we have a fabulous week's programme of activities and with no daily travel in or out of the city for competitors, this will mean there will be plenty of time for relaxing, socialising and sight-seeing.

What we (the organisers) require at this stage is to know that we have the interest 100 criers wanting to take part.
There will be a £50 none returnable payment/bond for each individual attending - escorts must be in costume
(e.g. £100 in total for crier and escort).

I do not have every Town Crier's email address and I would therefore ask that Guild/Company secretaries please pass this email on to all of their members.

We do hope you will all want to come and enjoy not only a town crying competition but also a cultural event at which you will have the opportunity to put your communities on the map in what will be a very high profile occasion.

THE SUMMER OF 2012 WORLD TOWN CRIER TOURNAMENT

HULL & EAST YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND.

INTRODUCTION

It is with great pleasure that I inform you about The Summer of 2012 World Town Crier Tournament taking place in the historic maritime city of Kingston upon Hull and surrounding area of East Yorkshire, from 27 July to 03 August 2012. We have places for 100 hundred bona-fide Town Criers, accompanied by costumed escorts. (If over subscribed a selection process will be used.)

In addition to the competition element this unprecedented event is also a cultural occasion when Britain and Yorkshire will be showcasing its welcoming hospitality. The invite to attend is also one of inviting Town Criers of the World to come and break bread. During each evening meal that is provided for competitors it will be preceded by a breaking of bread ceremony and in doing so the skills of the craft baker and his/her produce will be celebrated in spectacular fashion.

THEMES OF CRIES

The themes of cries of not more than 100 words will be:

· Hometown Cry

· Heritage Crafts Cry

· A cry for The Olympics

JUDGING

To allow for criers whose native tongue is not English, judging will be on 4 categories:

· Volume and Intonation (This recognises the messengers oratory skills)

· Content of Cry (This recognises the writing skill of the actual message)

· Style (This recognises not just the selling of the sausage but the sizzle as well)

· Accuracy.

On adding the scores from the three qualifying rounds of competition, the top twenty will go forward to a final cry-off. The result of the cry-off will recognise the highest scoring male, and the highest scoring female, but with the overall top scoring individual being judged as The Summer of 2012 World Town Crier Tournament Champion. It is likely that by the time the final cry-off takes place, an interest by the worlds media camped in London will have been generated. Indeed they will have been invited to report on their fellow countrymen/women taking part in this spectacular event, which runs alongside but is not part of the London 2012 Olympic Games. In the two years leading up to the tournament promotional PR initiatives will also be taking place on a world-wide scale in the communities of those Town Criers attending.

SKILLS WORTH SHOUTING ABOUT

As a sub theme to the competition it is intended to give a high profile to the skills of traditional crafts. The Heritage Crafts Cry can be on any national, but preferably local to your area, heritage craft subject. You will be allowed to take a visual aid of your craft subject on to the stage for dramatic as well as vocal effect. (Boomerangs may have some health and safety issues!)

Competitors will be asked to forward their craft item, tool or image to the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull, for public display well before the tournament. Competitors will therefore not need to travel with their item but can collect it for use on the competition day. It is hoped that competitors will donate their item so that the full display of craft items can continue after the competition and go on tour around Britain. We would also like a copy of your cry to be displayed alongside your craft item.

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS

Some of the exciting events we have in store for you during the week include:

· Watching the Olympic opening ceremony on a big screen at a major Hull venue.

· Taking part in a genuine historic medieval banquet in York.

· A trip to the seaside town of Bridlington and a fish and chip supper.

· The opportunity to be part of a bells-up for Yorkshire Day in beautiful Beverley.

· The chance to be crowned The Summer of 2012 World Town Crier Tournament Champion.

· The opportunity to shout up your Olympic team/the Olympic ideals and bring attention to your hometown communities in an event that has the potential of a world audience and media looking in.

SUMMARY

For you to be part of this unprecedented and exciting event we only need you at this stage to register your interest to attend. When doing so please mention your official status, e.g., that you have been appointed by a Council, Lord of the Manor, or Town Centre Forum/BID and you have been in the post for at least one year representing your communities. Also for reasons of Public Liability Insurance, when replying please list the details of any Guild of Company that you are a member of.

East Riding of Yorkshire Town Crier

iringmybell@yahoo.co.uk

Mobile 07770 372999
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alles was geregeld tot in de details, en dan krijg ik verleden week de volgende mededeling...