Town crier sought to bring life to local events

Mayor Stephen James wants to bring back the role of town crier to Malmesbury

A new town crier is being sought for a historic Wiltshire town following more than a decade without one.

Malmesbury's mayor, councillor Stephen James, is leading the charge to bring the role back to life in the town, saying town criers have a "positive contribution to civic events".

Public records show there have been town criers in Malmesbury dating back as far as at least 1859. The first was listed as Boyce May, who was a labourer born in 1783.

An advertisement for the new town crier has been put out by the town council and applications are open until 5 September. The mayor said: "We are looking for someone who has charisma, a loud voice and who can sense the mood and react accordingly."

He added: "For me it's obvious that we should bring back this tradition to our town."

One former town crier is Gordon Williams who took on the role from 1992 to 1997.

He said: "It was really good fun and a lovely role to showcase England's oldest borough and I'm thrilled that it's going to return.

"I wanted to give back to the town, which was so wonderful for me, my wife and my family."

The new town crier will make up a trio of important ceremonial roles, which aim to celebrate Malmesbury, its culture and heritage.

The successful candidate will be provided with the appropriate uniform and will be expected to attend up to four formal occasions a year. They will be paid a honorarium of £75 per event.