My livery looks great but the one thing letting it down (besides the chap wearing it) is the town crier scroll which I made a few years ago from an old pair of trousers, a broomstick and four doorknobs. As we have a coronation coming up, it is definitely time for an upgrade. For inspiration…
At Hastings National Town Crier Championships there are two trophies presented each year. Twelve months ago I was thrilled to win the Champion trophy, and this year I returned it, only to win the other one. On 18th October I was delighted to win the silver bowl for being the ‘best dressed’ crier. Of course…
I saw this picture in a copy of “Vagabondiana” OR, ANECDOTES OF ITINERANT TRADERS THROUGH THE STREETS OF LONDON, IN ANCIENT AND MODERN TIMES. VOLUME II. BY JOHN THOMAS SMITH. London: J. B. NICHOLS AND SON. 1839. The bellman/billman (the bill being the long hooked stick used to pull down thatch in the…
This morning, following a great weekend at Ascot I noticed a missing button on my livery. Tomorrow I am due to be with the Mayor to celebrate the 40th Birthday of Maidenhead Library, and these big gold buttons cant be bought at just any local haberdashery. Thankfully a quick visit to Tom Brown Tailors in…
Last night at Windsor’s Guildhall I gave a short cry of welcome to members of the Borough’s twinning committee and guests from some of our twin towns. I was going to attempt a proclamation in French, German, Dutch and Italian… but then thought better of it. Why risk stuffing it up in 5 languages when getting one…
After a great weekend in Windsor the consensus was ‘the more gold the better’ and so the new RBWM town crier’s livery has gone back to Tom Brown’s the tailors in Eton for some additional bling. David Coulthard, owner of the store that has been servicing the local community from the same premises at 1…
Today was a very exciting day for me. After much hard work my town crier livery is finally ready. Well, what can I say. It was well worth the wait and looks absolutely great. The detailing and stitching that has gone in into this has made it something I will always treasure. A huge thank…
I was taking a guided walking tour round Eton for a school tour group this week. As we were passing Tom Brown’s the tailors we decided to stop by so they could get a look at the new town crier’s costume. After lots of hard work designing and tailoring my livery it was really good to…
I have been putting the town crier’s scroll together. A broom handle cut into thirds (two bits needed plus one for if I make any big mistakes) seems the right size. For finials, I got four small wooden door knobs from Majacks on Dedworth Rd, Windsor. A bit of wood glue and masking tape to…
The badge featuring the RBWM Coat of Arms arrived this morning. This will be sewn onto the cape of the Town Crier’s costume. Sadly this photo doesn’t even begin to do justice to just how stunningly good the badge looks. It was made by hand and has a real 3D quality with a mix of thread…