Oyez, oyez, oyez – have you got what it takes to be Much Wenlock's first town crier in 30 years?

Much Wenlock Town Council say they have been inspired to bring back the position,which was phased out around 30 years ago following the formation of Shropshire Council and the end of the former district and borough councils.

They say the move is inspired by the work of Shrewsbury's Town Crier, and gave a ringing endorsement of Martin Wood, who they say is doing an excellent job promoting the county town.

Much Wenlock deputy mayor, Dan Thomas, said: “I am delighted to have been part of getting this up and running, it’s a direct link to Much Wenlock’s historic past and bringing it back will enhance our civic and public events.

“The Town Crier for Shrewsbury, Martin Wood does an excellent job of promoting their town and I am sure whoever represents Much Wenlock will do the same.

“As Deputy Mayor it’s something I’ve been working on with the Town Clerk. Essentially Wenlock always had a Town Crier from it’s days when it was the largest rural borough in England, this was when it was a big role which involved more than just proclamations.

“In the 1960s we lost the Borough, which took away some of the prestige, however the role held on for another 20 years whilst we still had an active court of law.

“In the 80s this went and the role fizzled out, it was briefly revived in the late 00’s but again it fizzled out and it’s something we’ve lost.”

“The Town Council would like to bring it back to enhance Civic events where formal proclamations are made, as well as public events and town markets. It will add to the appeal of these events and it will also be a fun thing to have.”

He added that the Town Council, which meets in the Wenlock Guildhall, built in 1540, are passionate about the town’s history and it’s traditions and has been applying for lottery heritage fund money to refurbish our historic Guildhall and is restoring the Cemetery Chapel.

Much Wenlock Town Council is now auditioning for the role of its town crier and is asking for try-outs form prospective candidates in the town square next month.

The position is a ceremonial and voluntary one and will see the new town crier be involved civic and town events throughout the year and write a relevant ‘cry’ for each event at which they appear.

The job is open to male and female applicants, aged 18 years and over, but applicants should have excellent written and oral communication skills, the ability to project their voice, as well as strong ties to Much Wenlock and knowledge of the town.

The deadline for applications is 5.00 pm on Friday, October 11.

Successful applicants will be required to perform a trial ‘cry’ in the town Square on Saturday, October 26 as part of the selection process, with the winner and new town crier selected by the town council.

Application forms can be found at: muchwenlock-tc.gov.uk