Town Crier Martin Wood learnt a lot about voice projection from actor: Edward Woodward. We find out more.

Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury Town Crier Martin Wood is getting ready for the annual Town Crier competition.

Transcript

00:00Well, even before we get to the top, we know who it is, don't we?

00:04Hello, Martin.

00:05How are you, sir?

00:06How are you?

00:07Guess who it is.

00:08Guess who it is.

00:09And you're involved in a competition coming up, aren't you, Martin?

00:12Yeah, I've got the World Championships for the Town Criers taking place on the 14th in

00:22Montgomery, just down the road.

00:25Is it a different place every year, is that how it works?

00:28Oh, yeah, yeah.

00:29It's a home run for you.

00:30It's a home run for the season, yeah, that's it, right.

00:32Feeling confident?

00:33Well, you know, there's a lot of good criers going.

00:36Yeah.

00:37Is it a competitive event, or is it more of a kind of a gathering and a, you know?

00:41A bit of both, really.

00:42But, you know, I mean, obviously you want to do as well as you can.

00:45Yeah, especially when it's in Montgomery.

00:47Especially when it's in Montgomery.

00:48Yeah, yeah.

00:49So what do you get to cry?

00:50Is it up to you?

00:51Is there a theme, or how's it work?

00:53There's a theme.

00:54I have to do a hometown cry.

00:57Okay.

00:58And then I have to do a cry then about one of the poets who was born in Montgomery back in the 1600s.

01:09Yeah.

01:10Who was that then?

01:11George Gilbert, I think.

01:14Okay, yeah.

01:15Something like that.

01:16So we have to make a crier call about him.

01:21Yeah, yeah.

01:22And then, you know.

01:23And what's the home cry going to be then, the Shrewsbury cry?

01:26Basically it's just greetings from Shrewsbury.

01:28Got you, yeah, yeah.

01:29And, you know, inviting people to come and see the lovely town.

01:33And you're in, this is brand new clobber as well, isn't it?

01:35So you're looking very sharp.

01:37Yeah, yeah.

01:39And your lad's coming down, isn't he, this weekend?

01:42Yeah.

01:43Has he ever had a go at the crying with the bell?

01:45Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.

01:46He'll keep out of the way.

01:48Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:50What does it take to be a good crier then, Martin?

01:52What are the...

01:53Insanity.

01:54Insanity, I love it.

01:56No, you've got to have a good voice, obviously.

01:58Yeah.

01:59You know, you've got to know a bit of history about your local area.

02:02Yeah.

02:03Have you always...

02:04So back when you was a young lad, you know,

02:06and you were shouting your might across the field,

02:08did you always have a voice that would kind of project?

02:10Oh, yeah, yeah.

02:11Yeah.

02:12Yeah.

02:13And then it all came to a head, really,

02:15when I had a job with Christmas Carol.

02:19Yeah?

02:20Oh, the film that was done?

02:21Yeah.

02:22Yeah, yeah.

02:23Because I doubled for Edward Woodward.

02:26Oh, okay.

02:27And he taught me a lot about voice projection.

02:30Oh, wow.

02:31So, you know, just...

02:32And that really brought it on?

02:33Yeah, yeah.

02:34So how many years have you been our crier then, Martin?

02:3640 years now.

02:3740 years?

02:3840 years now.

02:39Wow.

02:40And you're still going strong?

02:41You're not ready to hang your boots up or anything, are you?

02:43No, no, no, no, no.

02:44No, we're still going.

02:45Such a fixture in the town, you know.

02:47Oh, yeah, yeah.

02:48I enjoy it.

02:49Yeah.

02:50I mean, this is the thing, you know.

02:51Yeah, yeah.

02:52When I go past the metal sculpture that there is of you by the river, the cut-out,

02:57I always think, oh, there's that Martin.

02:59I know, Martin.

03:00Yeah, give me a wave.

03:01So it must give you a lot of pride when you...

03:03You know what I mean?

03:04It does.

03:05Yeah, yeah.

03:06Well, we wish you all the best no matter what happens.

03:08Thank you very much.

03:09You're always our legend of Shrewsbury.

03:11Thank you very much.

03:12Good luck, Martin.

03:13Good luck, Martin.

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