Town Criers from far and wide will arrive on our streets next week to take part in the Tenby Festival of Town Criers. This unique and colourful festival is on April 11, 12 and 13, Criers will be seen throughout the town. The formal system of Town Criers dates back to the middle ages when a reliable and trusted person of the town, with a clear loud voice, was required to keep citizens informed of matters of national and local importance. Today's Town Criers carry on the same tradition although 'the cry' is less formal than that of their predecessors. To start the festival, the Royal British Legion will host a welcome evening with buffet, at their premises in Lower Frog Street, starting at 7.30 pm on Friday. Saturday morning sees the criers meeting at St. Mary's Church grounds at 10 am. Here they will shout their 'home town cry' for your entertainment. They will then be seen around the town paying visits and shouting their thanks from outside the premises who have sponsored and supported this community event. At 2 pm, a parade of the Town Criers, led by the Milford Town Band, will leave the Royal British Legion, through the town to Tudor Square, where the Town Criers perform their 'competition cry' from the balcony of the Tenby House Hotel. The competition cry will be based on Robert Recorde, a mathematician of note who invented the equal = sign and was born in Tenby in 1510. The criers will be judged on diction and inflection, sustained volume and clarity, call content, deportment and dress. There will be four judges on hand and also two scorers to keep things in order. Following the competiton, it is hoped that some of the Town Criers will pay a visit to the Park House Court Nursing Home. This exciting and colourful day will finish with a 'Meet the Town Criers' evening at the De Valence Pavilion at 8 pm. The bar will be open, a free buffet is available and a jazz and blues band called the Freewheelers will be playing for those who wish to dance. All adults are welcome and you are sure to enjoy yourselves in the company of these vibrant and friendly visitors to the town. The festival will conclude when all visiting Town Criers attend morning service at St. Mary's Church. Tenby Events, who are hosting this festival, wish to thank Tenby Town Council, Coors Brewery, RMS64 and many local businesses who have sponsored them with finance, accommodation and lunches. They would especially like to thank Tenby's very own Town Crier, Mr. John (Yobbler) Thomas for all his support and wish him a belated happy 70th birthday.
