Shouting Out For Rotary

Town Criers have been shouting out the news for centuries and were the main means of communication at a time when most people could not read or write. Proclamations, local bylaws, market days, adverts, were all proclaimed by the local bellman or crier.

This evening we were joined by former Rotarian Mayor of Kidsgrove John Parsons - currently the Town Crier of Nantwich and of the Lord of the Manor of Rode - to tell us about the history of Town Crying since its introduction to England at the time of the Norman Conquests.

Whilst Mayor of Kidsgrove John was instrumental in bringing back the town's Crier after a gap of over two hundred years - the town having been banned from having a town crier after violence flared up between the former office holders.

Since becoming a Town Crier himself John, a diabetes sufferer, in addition to his duties to his Lord and Town spends much of his spare time speaking to Clubs and Societies to talk about the history of Town Crying and raising money for Diabetes UK and other charities.