Town crier to take on global competition

Shrewsbury's town crier is set to face competitors from around the globe at the World Town Crier Tournament.

Held in Chester, the event sees 25 town criers from England, the Channel Islands, Australia, Canada, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA compete for the coveted title from 22 to 26 September.

Martin Wood has served as Shrewsbury's town crier since 1984, and will represent Shropshire's county town.

"It's a fantastic opportunity to showcase our town on an international stage and to meet fellow criers from across the globe," he said.

"The standard of competition will be exceptionally high, with participants travelling from many different countries, including several criers I've not yet had the pleasure of meeting.

"That brings an added sense of excitement and challenge, but I'm looking forward to giving it my very best and proudly flying the flag for Shrewsbury."

Standing at 7ft 2in (2.1m), Wood is a recognisable figure in the town.

Many of his competitors have dozens of titles under their belt - like the crier for the Belgian city of Veurne, Joris Goens, who has won Belgium's national championship 13 times, alongside other accolades.

Peter Vader, from Zwolle, the Netherlands, has been Dutch national champion three times and came second in the 2025 national championships of the Netherlands.

The theme for day one of the competition, on 22 September, is "the Hometown Cry", where competitors proclaim the virtues of their hometowns.

Four judges will assess each crier on vocal proficiency, confidence and bearing, content of cry and audience engagement.

There will also be awards for best-dressed crier, best-dressed consort and best-dressed couple.

Day two is a little more mysterious, with a new theme that is yet to be announced.

Scores remain a secret until the final announcement at the end of the day.

The final day determines the overall champion, with combined scores from each round deciding who gets the crown.

Also decided will be the best ambassador, which recognises the crier "who has shown outstanding warmth and goodwill throughout the week".

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