Melksham Foodfestival coincided with the Town Crier competition this year ...
[imgl=mtc10_0]Between Melksham House and Market Square[/img] ... so walking up the alley to Melksham House where the Food Festival took part you would find people in casual dress mingling with the most properly dressed town Criers.
[imgl=mtc10_1]Town Crier[/img] Hear ye, Hear ye, Hear ye! A town crier in full flow - the afternoon competition had each doing a cry on "the day I was born"
[imgl=mtc10_2]Town Crier and Escort[/img] The bell gets attention. The crys of "Hear ye" cement it. The cry follows - slower and louder than I would speak (the way the British sometimes talk to people who don't speak much English), and the cry concludes with "God save the Queen"
[imgl=mtc10_3]Peter Dauncey, Melksham Town Crier[/img]Our own Town Crier makes his way up to make his cry.
[imgl=mtc10_4]A group of town criers[/img] What is the term for a collection of town criers? A group? A School? A swarm? or a Shout?
[imgl=mtc10_5]Dogs[/img]Have you heard of the term "lap dogs"? There two are watching the Town Crier competition here in Melksham.
[imgl=mtc10_6]Criers and Escorts[/img] The town criers and their escorts stand and chat in the Market Square. The town criers are dedicated ... and the escorts must be all the more dedicated to follow their partners from Crying even to Crying event.