Yesterday was an eventful day in more ways than one!

It all began with a visit to my good friend Ali, who is an accomplished blogger.  I had often read and enjoyed her fascinating and thought-provoking blogs. I used to marvel, wide-eyed and mouth wide open, at how many people were following her writings in so many far-off lands.  I’d  often wondered about writing a blog myself, to share my varied and enjoyable experiences of being a Town Crier and then I used to laugh to myself at the thought that “surely, no one would ever want to read about them anyway!”  I’ve shared a few experiences on Facebook before now, but I’d often felt the need to have a medium that was a little more expansive, shall we say, with the prospect of reaching a slightly wider audience, like……The World! GULP!  (As a radio amateur, it has to be said, I always got a huge “buzz” whenever I heard someone replying to me from the other side of the planet!)

So, yesterday was the day for me to tentatively dip my toe into the blogging ocean for the very first time!

Ali was a very sympathetic teacher who helped me to get started. She was so patient as my eyes started to glaze over at the first mention of  “widgets” and the like.  Like tackling anything new I guess, like learning to drive a car….. it all takes time to assimilate, understand and then put into practice – especially when you’re the wrong side of 60!  I have so many questions about it all right now, but luckily the online video tutorials are slowly helping. Surely this is preferable to making endless phone calls to my patient mentor, at all hours of the day and night!

So this will be a relatively short blog, just to see if it all works……….

Oh, the broadcasting? I never thought you’d ask!

Yesterday evening, I attended the studios of Glastonbury FM, our local radio station, where I was going to be interviewed about my work as a Town Crier and then talk a little bit about the history of Town Criers in the UK.  I haven’t been so nervous in a very, very long time! I felt that same sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that I had felt when I was summoned to the Headmaster’s study, nearly 60 years ago!  You’d think that after 44 years of teaching in the classroom, sometimes taking school assemblies before an entire school, not to mention compering on the Glastonbury Festival stage,  I’d have got over “nerves” by now.  Isn’t it funny how the prospect of a cosy chat in a small carpeted room, in front of a microphone, can bring you out into a cold sweat, with clammy hands and dry mouth?

Steve, the jovial and charming radio presenter, soon put me at ease and in next to no time I was chattering away about what led me into this crazy world of Town Crying, where people shout their heads off, wearing old-fashioned clothes, white tights and frilly lace.

“GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

(Glastonbury Market Cross, April 2017)