THE 2015 ANNUAL WORLD TOWN CRYING FESTIVAL

Each year Town Criers from around the world gather for the Annual Town Crying Festival to promote their Town/Village and Country.

The 2015 event was held in Central Otago in New Zealand and the local Town Crier, Paddy-Ann Pemberton, organised the event. 19 Criers came from England, Wales, Australia, Canada, the United States, and three from New Zealand. Lynley  McKerrow from Invercargill, Caroline Robinson from Palmerston North and James Donald, a member of Clan Donald Auckland, who represented and promoted the Village of Howick which is in the east of the City of Auckland.

While there is a serious and historical side to the Tournament, like ceremonial bows to officials and each other, the sweeping of hats, ringing of bells and sounding of horns, there is the fun side of promoting tourism in the Town/Village and Country that each represents. James Donald, the Howick Town Crier, reports that Howick Tourism was wrapped with the exposure.

With the Social Media of today their efforts go “International”.

James Donald has always been keen on promoting past generations’ achievements and their history, Clan Donald being one, so when the position of “Town Crier” came up for filling he accepted and is actively engaged promoting the Howick Community as ‘the best place in the world to live in’.

 

James Donald, Howicks Town Crier, on the right, presenting “Grey’s Folly,” a book on the history of Howick, to Tony Leeper, the Mayor of Central Otago.