Arundel Castle echoes to town criers’ calls

Sixteen vocal hopefuls were in with a shout of winning the West Sussex Championship Cup, but it was the impressive Ken Knowles, from Lichfield, Staffordshire, who triumphed after the two rounds of crying on the lower castle lawns.

Arundel town crier Angela Standing organised the day-long event, which began with a parade through the town by the criers, joined by Guides, Brownies, Scouts and Cubs.

A crowd of curious spectators watched as the criers, all in superb regalia, delivered their cries from a podium 25 yards away from the judges, who included Sgt Maj Keith Wood, of B company, the 3rd Btn, Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, based at Brighton, Bill Brennan, of Arundel’s Drip Action theatre company and yours truly.

The competitors were assessed for clarity, volume, diction and inflection, while Elaine Marshall and Ania Klementowicz, of historical re-enactment group Raven Tor, judged the costumes.

For the morning session, the criers had to extol the virtues of their home towns, ranging from Ilfracombe, in Devon, to Colchester, in Essex, and from Swanage, on the Dorset coast, to Lichfield.

After lunch, they were asked to proclaim the positive points of West Sussex, its countryside, coast and towns.

Angela, who did not take part herself, was delighted with the event. She said: “It’s been fantastic. There was a very high standard of crying. Everybody enjoyed themselves and the weather was glorious.”

She thanked all those who supported the day, including 75 local businesses and her husband Colin.