In pictures: Windsor welcomes town criers for national championships

Town criers from across the country yelled out their ‘Home Cry’ during a national competition in Windsor.

The Royal Borough hosted the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers National Championship for the first time on Saturday.

The event attracted 38 bellowing bell-ringers from the UK and two entrants from Australia’s Lane Cove and Victor Harbor.  

Crowds watched on as the competitors marched through the High Street before showing off the power of their public proclamations outside Windsor Castle.

Each contestant had to perform a ‘Home Cry’ which praised the qualities of their town before doing a second performance based on a theme of celebration.

A four-person panel including Thames Hospice chief executive Debbie Raven and the Mayor’s Secretary Alison Singleton judged each town crier on their volume, clarity, inflection and diction.

Christian Ashdown, town crier for Haslemere, emerged victorious and received his prize from the Governor of Windsor Castle, Admiral Sir James Perowne.    

Royal Borough town crier Chris Brown, who acted as compere for the event, said: “The thing about it for us is it was right in view of the castle.

“These are the people that cry ‘God Save the Queen’ more than anyone in the country so we were blown away to be able to use the lawn outside the Salisbury Tower.”