CALNE’s town crier Mark Wylie is attempting to become the first Brit to win the annual Bermuda International Town Crier competition which starts today (APR 22).

Mr Wylie has travelled over 3,000 miles to Bermuda in an attempt to win the third annual international competition.

He will compete alongside 25 other town criers from the UK and Canada in the international town crier competition.

Over the course of the next three days, Mr Wylie and his fellow participants will compete in Crying Competitions island-wide as they battle it out for the title.

During the competition, Mr Wylie will be judged on appearance (uniform), bearing and confidence, clarity, content, dictation, inflection and sustained volume.

Mark Wylie has been Town Crier of Calne since May 2007 but did not start competing in competitions until 2010, when Calne Town Council planned the first such event.

On the strength of his hosting at that competition, Mr Wylie was invited to compete at Melksham, where he placed fourth before winning his first title in Fairford a few weeks later.

He went on to win the 2012 UK National Championships at his first attempt and is the current Ancient & Honourable Guild of Town Criers Champion.

In a tradition dating back to the 18th Century, Town Criers have always been elaborately dressed with their signature red and gold coats, white breeches and black boots completed with a tricorne hat and a trademark hand bell to draw people’s attention.

Typically they were the only means of communication with townsfolk and were used to make public announcements.

The Bermuda International Town Crier Competition 2015 runs from today to Friday.