VIDEO: The Annual Dartmouth Town Criers Competition was hosted by Dartmouth Town Les Ellis on a beautiful sunny day last Sunday in Royal Avenue Gardens.

A town crier from North Yorkshire won the Sir Francis Drake Armada Cup after three days of international competition in South Hams, finished in Dartmouth.

Town criers from as far away as Bermuda came to the South Hams to compete for four prestigious cups. A fabulously dressed armada of cryers were joined by elegant consorts in beautiful gowns. The attire is traditionally an elaborate red and gold robe, white breeches, black boots and a tricorne hat, dating back to the 18th century. Today, cryers are dressed in all the colours of the rainbow, although red and blue are in the majority.

The cryers competing were of all sizes and gender but all carried a booming voice. They included the tallest, an impressive, six-foot seven, Bermudan cryer and an immaculate lady crier from Kingsteignton.

Hosted by Roger Pinder, Town Crier of Kingsbridge and Les Ellis Town Crier of Dartmouth, this long-standing international event and colourful pageant, is a three-day competition beginning in Salcombe.

There are four competitions, the Salcombe Cup, the Kingsbridge Cup and the Peter Randall Memorial Cup. The crier with the most points from the three competitions wins the coveted Sir Francis Drake Armada Cup. There are also awards for the best dressed crier, the best dressed consort and the best dressed couple at Kingsbridge and Dartmouth.

The Salcombe Cup took place on Friday, July 21st, at Overbecks (National Trust) Salcombe and the cry was ‘Home Cry’. Winners were Mark Wylie from Calne, Wiltshire in first place, followed by David Hinde, Helmsley, North Yorkshire in second place and Ed Christopher from Hamilton, Bermuda in third.

The Kingsbridge Cup took place the next day, on Saturday, at the bandstand in Kingsbridge and the cry was an ‘open cry’. David Hinde from Helmsley North Yorkshire won. There was a 'cry off' for second and third places, Devlin Hobson from Middlewich came second and Mark Wylie from Calne in Wiltshire was third.

The Best Dressed Couple were Devlin and Jenny Hobson from Middlewich and the Best Dressed Crier was Ed Christopher from Hamilton, Bermuda. Best Dressed Consort was Jenny Smirthwaite from Liskeard.

The Peter Randall Memorial Cup competition was on the last day, Sunday, July 23rd, at the bandstand Royal Avenue Gardens, Dartmouth and the cry was ‘The Pilgrim Fathers’.

The winner was David Hinde from Helmsley in North Yorkshire, who won in a cry-off against Mark Wylie from Calne in Wiltshire. Mark's voice had been put under strain by the previous day’s cry-off and one of the judges thought this might be the reason for him losing the close call for first place. Ken Knowles from the City of Lichfield won third place.

Best Dressed Crier was deemed to be Owen Collier, from Royal Wooten Bassett and Best Dressed Consort was Caroline Cunliffe from Dawlish. The Best Dressed Couple were Chris and Jenny Smirthwaite from Liskeard.

Overall winner of The Armada Cup was David Hinde from Helmsley in North Yorkshire.

Next year’s competition will run from July 27th to 29th, 2018.

The prize giving was by Councillor Richard Cooke and Fiona Ward, Mayor and Mayoress, of Dartmouth. The judges at Dartmouth were, Fiona Ward, Mayoress; Councillor David Kelland, Brian Boundy, Retired Detective Chief Inspector; Helen Randall (daughter of the late Peter Randall, Dartmouth’s crier for 22 years) and Tracie Fox of Mistral Fashions.