CHESTER’S Town Crier has put himself in the spotlight.

David Mitchell, right, performed his one-man show For Crying Out Loud! at the Little Theatre, Chester, on July 11.

Reader Brian Carter said Mr Mitchell enthralled the audience with stories of his 17 years as the man in tights who “shouts” at visitors from The Cross in the centre of Chester, and he interspersed this with fascinating insights into the history of town crying.

Before the age of printing and newspapers, the unamplified human voice was all that was available to spread news or proclaim law to the population.

For example in 1671 it was proclaimed by the crier that no houses within the city walls of Chester were to be roofed in thatch but should either be tiled or slated. This was after the great fire of London in 1666 and was an early form of the Building Regulations.

Mr Mitchell also spoke of public appearances which did not go to plan.

On one such occasion, while on a horse for a wedding proclamation, the horse was unfazed by the bell being rung in its ear, but objected violently when he started his vocal presentation!

He also gave examples of strange questions asked by tourists, particularly Americans who he says have a strange notion of history.