Oyez! Oyez! Newbury welcomes its new town crier Steve Wallis

Oyez! Oyez! Newbury has welcomed its new town crier.

Steve Wallis has been ringing in and announcing several of Newbury’s public events over the last few months and has quickly settled into the iconic public function.

Mr Wallis, 61, officially took over the civic duty from Brian Sylvester, who laid down his bell for the last time in April when he retired from the post after 25 years.

He said: “I did some am-dram with Brian in September 2023 when he was planning his retirement.

“He noticed that I can project confidently and have good diction, which is a baseline for the role, I guess.

“I was pleased and proud to accept the offer of following on from Brian in the role – I won’t say replace.”

Mr Wallis grew up on a farm in Wales. He moved to Newbury from Dorset 21 years ago and has been very fond of the West Berkshire town ever since.

He said: “It was initially just a geographically convenient location, but the beauty of the canal and river, the proximity of Snelsmore and Greenham, and the ‘big village’ vibes of the town have grown on me.

“It's a town that looks after itself, and I like that.”

Mr Wallis is a poet and a trained actor. He has found that the job of declaiming to an audience of townsfolk suits his skills as a performer, and he has also enjoyed adding a rhyming twist to some of his cries.

He has already got stuck in to the more nitty-gritty aspects, including explaining to children why he wears such a flamboyant purple outfit.

He said: “Children tend to think I’m a pirate, so there’s a small educational role too, talking about the history of communication, from one man shouting at everyone else to mobile phones that are also cameras you can play games on.”

Mr Wallis added: “Newbury is a beautiful town, with a vibrant volunteer sector and thriving businesses big and small.

“I’m honoured to have the opportunity to support and promote the best of the community.”