Being town crier means being open to new ideas and joining in for the benefit of the community. Sometimes this leads me in strange new directions.
None more so than last weekend when I was asked to deliver a proclamation for the start of the Maidenhead Zombie Walk. This is the second year of the event and 150 or more locals were expected to turn up in costumes and makeup to drag themselves through the town centre because… well because its fun.
Once I got to the Bell pub, plans were changed as more and more enthusiastic zombies turned up.
I agreed to lead the parade through town and then, impressed by the amazing effort that the Maidonians had put in, I agreed to let them zombie me up with facepaints. We drew the line at adding fake blood, too much of a danger of dripping onto the purple livery.
So, a little past five pm we set off, with a crowd of almost 300 undead of all ages. As we staggered through the Nicholsons shopping centre they switched off the lights and set off the deafening industrial ventelators to create a really creepy atmosphere.
It was a great afternoon and showed just how clever, creative and up for a good time the people round here are.
Mind you, appearing on the front page of this week’s royal borough observer in full zombie makeup isn’t an outcome I was expecting.