For crying out loud - town criers from all around the world have descended on Chester for the World Town Crier Tournament.
Battle commenced at noon today (Wednesday, August 20) with criers from England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Channel Islands and the USA battling it out in the first contest in the Town Hall Square.
Round 1, the Hometown Cry, was won by reigning world champion Chris Whyman of Kingston, Ontario who extolled the virtues of the first capital of Canada, carrying a bottle of salad dressing.
He said: “Kingston is the gateway to the 1000 islands and everyone know that as a salad dressing, so I chose a bottle as my escort.”
Chris is looking forward to the ensuing rounds which culminate in the final on Saturday in Abbey Square.
He said “The weather was typically British for the first round, with sun one minute and pouring rain the next, with a bit of mist thrown in!”“I am looking forward to the rest of the contest - the criers here are top notch.”
The first round was sponsored by the Coach House in Chester which hosted a dinner for competitors last night.
At noon tomorrow, Thursday, August 21, the criers will return to Town Hall Square at noon to lay the law down in a Law & Order cry, sponsored by Taylor Brown Solicitors.
After the competition the criers will literally shout from the rooftops of Chester Cathedral about the spectacular new attraction, Cathedral at Height.
