Oyez! Town crier passes bell on after 23 years

A ceremony has taken place to mark the retirement of a town crier after 23 years of service.

Graham Pfaff, 78, from Royston, who stepped down from the role due to health concerns, passed on the bell to Stella Mills at Priory Memorial Gardens in the Hertfordshire town on Saturday.

Pfaff said his time in the role did not get off to the best of starts after the town council failed to provide him with a pair of ceremonial trousers for his first public event in 2003.

However, to save his blushes he found a solution by borrowing the previous job holder's "decent britches".

"For the past 23 years, Graham Pfaff has proudly served as Royston's town crier, helping to preserve one of the town's oldest traditions," said a spokesperson for Royston Town Council.

"From civic ceremonies and community events to official proclamations, Graham has been a familiar face and voice at many of the moments that have brought Royston together over the years."

Pfaff moved to Royston in 1979 with his wife Gina.

He began his career as an oboe player and became the chief executive of the English Sinfonia Orchestra before he retired and wanted a volunteering role.

He became town crier after an audition, which deemed his voice was loud enough.

Pfaff said his most memorable moment as town crier was hosting a dinner for the 70th anniversary of the 91st Bomb Group.

He recalled sitting next to a 91-year-old pilot who had come over from the US, and described it as a "touching moment".

Another memory was when he was invited to a school.

"I was having a cup of tea with the head, and suddenly they said, 'Okay, I've got to go', and he rushed out into the hall because there was total silence. He said he'd never heard total silence in his hall," he said.

In the hall, the children were whispering to each other because they thought there was a "pirate in the school".

Pfaff recently had a hip operation and said he might need a "couple of new knees", and he did not fancy being the town crier while using a wheelchair.

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