TOP town criers will ring their bells and most importantly, raise their voices, to battle it out for an international title in Colchester.
The Guild of Town Criers European Continent will stage its championship on Sunday, August 20.
Colchester Town Crier Robert Needham, who has scooped several pieces of silverware, will host the event.
A parade, including a Scottish piper and Colchester Town Watch, will kick off the competition from Greyfriars Hotel on East Hill 10.30am.
The contest will then see 11 town criers from Belgium, Holland and the UK contest for the Guild Championship title over two rounds.
The first of these being held in Lion Walk Shopping Centre at 11am.
In this round Town Criers will call out “on the virtues of their own home town”.
The second round will take place in Culver Square shopping centre at 2pm.
Criers will call on a theme called: “Colchester, what’s under the surface?”
The theme gives contestants an opportunity to investigate deeper into what they can discover about the town.
The judging panel will include Colchester and Wivenhoe Mayors, the Garrison Commander and other community figureheads.
They will determine who is the best in terms of of: volume and clarity, confidence and bearing; and accuracy, diction and inflection.
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