Queen's Jubilee: Bognor town crier sets the standard with proclamation
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For Jane Smith, it all started in the early hours of the morning, as recordings from New Zealand came pouring into her inbox: town criers declaring the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years of rule, using words she wrote six months earlier.
“It all sunk in this morning. I got really emotional about it, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it,” the town crier said.
"That’s when it hit me. I thought ‘this is really big.’”
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Alongside New Zealand, Mrs Smith’s proclamation has and will be read in countries all over the commonwealth today, from Canada to South Africa and beyond. For her, listening to so many other people read her words has been an emotional, almost surreal experience: "You know what the words sound like in your head,” she explained “But then to actually hear other people shouting it. You just think ‘wow!’”
Of course, Bognor Regis held its own proclamation on the seafront bandstand at 2pm. Mrs Smith’s cry, delivered in her hand-designed regalia, attracted a considerable crowd, many of whom asked for photos and autographs, and it’s sure to do so again when she repeats the proclamation at tonight’s beacon lighting, which is set for 9.30pm on the seafront.
In fact, it had a number of high-profile fans before it was ever read aloud: Mrs Smith said the proclamation scroll was read by Prince Charles himself earlier this week: "One of my colleagues, the president of the Ancient and Honourable Guild (of Town Criers) he was invited to Highgrove during the week, and he took the proclamation with him. Prince Charles was there. And he took the scroll, read it, gave it back, gave a nod and said it was very good. I reckon that’s more than enough for me!”
But Mrs Smith has plenty of admirers closer to home, with councillors and residents eager to sing her praises: (Jane) is absolutely wonderful, she never ceases to amaze me,” said Mayor John Barrett. “She’s a tribute to the town. What she’s done is bring Bognor to the fore and it’s brilliant to have that lift.”