HE's the last man in Scotland keeping the ancient and noble art of town crying alive and well.
John Smith, a professional loudmouth in the politest sense, will celebrate International Town Crier day on Monday as the country's only member of the Loyal Town Criers Association.
The 69-year-old is carrying on a noble tradition which dates back to the times of the ancient Greeks, and although his job has long been superceded by telegrams, newspapers, TV and the internet, he's still eager to share his skills with the public.
Smith, from Dalkeith, Midlothian, has combined his high-volume profession with his day job as a Toastmaster and a teacher of presentational skills since the year 2000, and reckons he's quite literally the last of a dying breed.
The official town crier for Kilwinning and Prestonpans, he mostly works for charities, but says he hasn't had an official engagement for quite some time.
He said: "I used to lead the parade of the performers at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but they don't do that anymore.
"Basically, town criers were the newscasters of their day when few people could read or write. They would alert the townsfolk that they were about to speak and then deliver proclamations to everyone within the sound of their voice."
The first use of criers in the British Isles was said to date back to Norman times, when the cry “oyez, oyez, oyez”, (old French for “hear ye”) was used to draw the attention to matters of importance.
Criers were usually people of some standing in the community, as they had to be able to read and write the proclamations. The crier would read a proclamation, usually at the door of the local inn, then nail it to the door post.
They were also used to issue warnings and important advice, and acted as conveyors of local news. In Haddington, East Lothian, after a fire which destroyed one side of the High Street in 1598, the “coal and candle” proclamation was introduced, instructing people to learn how to prevent fires.
Smith, whose tailor-made outfit cost around £3,000, described how several skills are needed if someone wants to be a professional shouter.
He said: "A strong voice is a given, obviously. You have to have a voice which is clear and carries well. That's something I've learned to do as a Toastmaster.
"And it helps to be a larger than life personality. It's no use being shy when you're job is to be the centre of attention.
"I was actually quite shy when I started out, but I found that my confidence grew with every engagement both as a Toastmaster and as a town crier."
The town crier said that most of his jobs as a town crier are bespoke arrangements for different clients and he always works from a script.
However, his contribution to various charities is certainly something to shout about - and during his time bellowing the news he has helped raise tens of thousands for different causes.
He said that his favourite job was when he was asked to lead the Tartan Day Parade in America, at the head of a column thousands strong.
Smith said: "Over the years I set myself various challenges and one of them was to walk down the Avenue of the Americas in New York, and I got to do that leading the Tartan Day parade in 2002. I was walking in front of two hundred and ninety pipe bands through the greatest city on earth, and that's something I will never forget."
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