Town crier ‘amazed’ by the crowds for his final cry

Cllr Alistair Chisholm gave his final cry on New Year’s Eve (Image: Gary Woodland) The town crier for Dorchester said he was ‘amazed’ following the reception by the county town as he gave his final cry to welcome in the new year. Wind and rain held off for Cllr Alistair Chisholm, who is also the county town’s mayor, to give his final cry at the town pump on the stroke of midnight before his retirement on Monday, January 1.

The 78-year old made a name for himself in the role nationally, winning the national crying championships 11 times – a joint record. He said: “I was amazed at how many people pitched up as one would have thought the bad weather during the day would have put them off. “It was touching to see such a large number of people there- a lot of whom came up to me to say they were sorry to see me go, so of course there was a certain sadness to it.

“We now live in the age of selfies and so that was very flattering afterwards and when I finished someone said I counted down 15 seconds too early,” he joked.

Dorset Echo: Cllr Chisholm went on to say that although he has made the decision to retire, he believes this is a ‘golden opportunity’ for someone else to take on the role. He added that he is ‘concerned’ about the position not being filled, but said there is always space for the role in the public eye.

“A lot of criers never get replaced, Doris Eastwood who was Weymouth and Langton Herring crier is a good example. She passed away and was not replaced and this would have been a wonderful opportunity for a seaside town,” he said. “I suppose it’s about moving into the modern day.

It is an old fashioned role I suppose, but the town council has adapted it for the twenty first century. “Events still go on and people will still want to know about them. Whilst information from the internet and on phones is readily available, there is nothing wrong with good old fashioned broadcasters,” he added.

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Cllr Chisholm also revealed that Dorchester Town Council has started looking for his replacement, and will put out a pre-recorded ‘call to action’ cry to social media ‘very soon.’ Story continues He said: “We’re looking to try and unearth a talent that will enjoy contributing to the role and have a certain amount of individuality.

“We have had some interest in the role already, and we hope that the traditions can continue to represent the town with a long and fascinating story to promote to the community and visitors alike,” Cllr Chisholm added. The last four lines of Alistair’s final cry were as follows: “We’re all part of the same human race,

And together we can meet all the challenges we face,

Let’s respect our differences but let them not hold sway,

It’s what we have in common that will ensure we win the day.”