WESTBURY’S town crier for the last 19 years will be standing down in June 2015.
Sean Price has been town crier for Westbury since 15th August 1995, but will be leaving the post next summer.
Sean was originally volunteered for the position by his mother as part of the 50th anniversary of D-Day, and the rest, he says, is history!
Sean said, “I’ve been the town crier for a long time, but priorities change and I’m getting busier with my family and with Westbury Wheelers and Avon Valley Runners. It’s time to give someone else a chance to do it. It really is an amazing role and I can’t believe how much it changed me as a character. It’s built my confidence so much. For the right person who is passionate about the job it could be a fantastic experience.”
Sean has won four town crier competitions during his tenure. He won the South Gloucestershire competition in 1997, Mells Daffodil Festival in 1999 and 2000, and in Wootton Bassett in 2007.
His time outside of competitions has not been uneventful either, and his duties have included attending local events, charity work, national competitions, and even hen parties.
“I remember when I started,” Sean said, “I had a three-month trial period when I had to wear a hired Captain Hook costume and all the children laughed at me! Then when the twinned town visited I tried crying in French; I’m not sure how successful that was, but it’s all about boosting community spirit.
“I’m unashamedly a Westbury man. I’ve lived here since 1987 and I absolutely love it. I’m so proud to have been of service to the town and it has been an honour and a privilege to have been the town crier.”
Sean Price wrote his own home cry called ‘The Seven Wonders of Westbury’ with the help of his friend Keith Murray. You can read it at www.westburytowncrier.co.uk
