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David Mitchell's winning cries

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Published Date: 11 July 2008
David Mitchell, town crier for Chester, won the Town Crier British Championships 2008 in ALnwick.
In what was his tenth year as a crier, he won the British Championships for the first ever time.

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- Full report of British Championship
- VIDEO of British championship
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David, who has been a British Championship runner-up three times in the past, was delighted to finally get his hands of the gong.

He said: "I have been town crier for Chester for 10 years so it was a nice way to celebrate my 10-year anniversary.

"Three times I have been runner-up so I was under a lot of pressure from my eight-year-old son (Spencer) to go one better and become British Champion.

"So not only is it a great honour and a pleasure to win but it gets me out of trouble with my son."

But his successful Alnwick stint did not stop there. David scooped the Best Content of Cry and the Best Dressed Crier accolades - his livery handmade by Julie Mitchell, David's wife and fellow crier.
And it didn't stop there. He completed his haul by being nominated the People's Champion, voted for by spectators.

And following in his dad's footsteps, David's son, Spencer, was voted as the Best Dressed Escort.

The town criers had to impress with two witty-ditties.

The first, a humorous home cry, the second on the subject of 'Where in the world would I drink my Alnwick Rum?'

Here are David Mitchell's winning cries.

The first was a tongue-in-cheek cry about Chester.

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!

City of Chester
Has it all
Amphitheatre
Roman walls
Tudor houses
Victorian mews
And a handsome town crier
Proclaiming the news!

Even Chester's laws
Are antiquated:
Welshmen breaking the curfew
May be…decapitated!
A cruel sentence?
Lord defend us!
We never get
Repeat offenders!

If watching whales
Is your quest
Book a room
Facing west
From your window
Whether misty or clear
You can see Wales
Every day of the year!

Within the walls
Serving grub
Thirty-seven restaurants
Fifty-three pubs!
Public toilets
When you need the loo
Are much more rare
In fact, only two!
For your convenience
All year round
The River Dee
Runs through town!

So come to Chester
City of two latrines!
God bless you all
God save the Queen!


The second is his cry about Alnwick Rum

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!

I'd like to take my Alnwick Rum
On the pirate ship "Aphrodite"
By day drink wine with Johnny Depp
But rum with Keira Knightly.

Storms may toss our boat around
For life we'll hang on tightly
My hand curled 'round my Alnwick Rum
My arm 'round Keira Knightley.

When the storms have all blown over
And the stars are shining brightly
The crew can swig their Alnwick Rum
While I'm below with Keira Knightley.

When at last our voyage is ended
And we all return to Blighty
I'll lug ashore my Alnwick Rum
And marry Keira Knightley.

Flaming beacons line the coast
Keira's looking like a dream
Alnwick Rum provides the toast
Which is, of course, "God save the Queen!"


































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  • Last Updated: 11 July 2008 11:01 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Alnwick, Northumberland
 
 
 

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