Champion Bert takes the mike

National Champion Town Crier Bert Waldron ‘cheated’ in Torrington on Saturday morning. He jumped into a loudspeaker van and toured the streets ringing his bell and making his announcements using a microphone.

He had, however, a good excuse, for although he has the country’s champion voice after retaining the national Town Crier’s title at Hastings, the gale-force wind in Torrington made his task of a clear announcement difficult. So he rang and called over the microphone in Mr Tom Squire’s loudspeaker van.

Gazette article 9 January 1959