Late entry in from Brian Harris, if you’re into town criers, head to Ryde tomorrow where 14 of them will be gathering for a day of Crying. Ed
Tomorrow will see and hear fierce competition amongst Town Criers in Ryde.
Hosted by Steve and Edna King, Town Crier and Consort for Ryde, 14 Criers from foreign parts – Southampton to Peacehaven, Royal Wootton Bassett to Llandovery, Arundel to Ledbury – will be gathering in the town centre for a whole day of Crying!
Morning and afternoon sessions
A grand parade of Criers and their escorts, accompanied by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Ryde, and supported by the local Army Cadet Force, will form up at the top of Union Street at 10am, and move along the High Street to the soon-to-be-named Anthony Minghella Square in John Street.
There will be two sessions: the morning, from 10.30, will consist of crying a prepared script, while the afternoon, from 2pm, will be a freestyle event, although having to conform within certain parameters. During the lunch period, Bloodstone Morris Dancers will be performing in the square.
Prize-giving at Yelfs
Judges, including Gloria Minghella, will award points for diction, clarity, volume, content and dress, and the day will end with a prize-giving ceremony at Yelf’s Hotel, Union Street, at 4pm.
The event, strictly run along almost military lines, is supported by over forty Ryde businesses and the Town Council, and is the first in Ryde, although these gatherings have been going on around the country for many years.
