Recent News...
TV's Real Deal
Joining forces
recently with David Dickinson, the flamboyant presenter of ITV's Dickinson's Real Deal and Bargain Hunt, was great fun. We
were helping to promote Rex Johnson and Sons, Birmingham's leading gold merchants.
At Camden Lock Market
Towpath Ted,
one of my latest creations, took to the canalside recently to meet and greet visitors to the Camden Lock Village
Canal Market... and he certainly proved popular with the crowds.
Alan's Blog Archive from 2010
Or read entries from 2011 here.
A Squeaking Great Day
It's
not often I get asked to attend an event celebrating mice but, then, these are no ordinary mice! Anyone who's
familiar with Beatrix Potter stories will know the tale of John Pritchard, the Gloucester tailor who was commissioned
to make a suit for the new mayor and had a bit of help from the friendly mice who lived in the shop.
I was invited to attend the launch of a new mechanical mice feature inside the Tailor of Gloucester shop and museum. Relatives of Beatrix Potter were there, along with the actress Patricia Routledge who is president of The Beatrix Potter Society.
Here's a video clip of the event:
Posted by Alan (30-NOV-10)
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A Twist and Pulse Start to Christmas
We
all had loads of fun last night at the official Christmas Lights Switch On at the Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet. I was
there nice and early as the city's official town crier to warm up the crowds and get everyone ready for the star turn which,
this year, was provided by Twist and Pulse (pictured right).
The duo found fame last year in Simon Cowell's ITV show, Britain's Got Talent, and are known for their creation of the phrase 'streetomedy' - a mix of street dance and comedy.
And there are more Christmas celebrations this weekend, too, with a city centre parade and cathedral concert. I can't wait!
Posted by Alan (19-NOV-10)
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A Real International Party
Last
Friday, I spent the day at London's Leadenhall Market celebrating the 29th World Airline Road Race Festival. There
were hundreds of competitors from airline athletics clubs all over the world. They all came to take part in the race
programme, raise money for the Dreamflight charity and enjoy the party. Everyone was swapping shirts and having a great
time! I also met up with some old pals from the Pearly Kings and Queens Society.
Posted by Alan (27-SEP-10)
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The Day I Turned Purple
Well,
it was all in a good cause! Here's a photo of the outfit I created especially for the RSA (previously the Royal
& Sun Alliance) when they invited me to help promote their 300th anniversary.
I was rather pleased with how the outfit came together in the end and RSA were delighted to have a colour co-ordinated town crier on hand to help make their party go with a swing.
Posted by Alan (23-SEP-10)
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Helping Out With The Sally Army
I often
come across members of the Salvation Army when I'm working on events up and down the country and they're a
great bunch to work with. I was able to help out the SA in my home town recently when they were staging an exhibition of
Salvation Army History as part of the Gloucester Heritage Weekend on the 10th, 11th and 12th September.
Check out this photo of me holding a flag from an early Salvation Army corps in Gloucester. The flag has always been a part of the Army, even in the early days when marching in the streets provoked opposition and sometimes physical violence.
We all know about the Sally Anns, with their music and social work, but this exhibition gave everyone an opportunity to look behind the scenes and find out more about the people who've made it into the respected organisation that it is today.
Posted by Alan (13-SEP-10)
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Gloucester Day is a Great Success!
It brought a tear to my eye to see all the veterans and all the groups and organisations who took part in yesterday's Gloucester Day celebrations. I was ecstatic to see how many people turned up and it was lovely to see all the faces - young and old. It was a great honour to lead the procession around the city centre, with marching bands and civic dignitaries, plus knights in full regalia. Well done everyone who joined in or who came to watch!
Posted by Alan (5-SEP-10)
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London Town Crier
I always
believe that attention to detail is important. So when The Royal & Sun Alliance (now rebranded as RSA)
asked me to help them celebrate their 300th anniversary, I was more than happy to run up some new purple stockings, jabot
and cuffs to tie in with their corporate colour. I'll be giving the new-look outfit its first airing on the 23rd
September in London's Leadenhall Market.
I'll be in the market the following day, too, helping to promote the 29th World Airline Road Race Festival. More than 1,000 airline employees, families and friends will be taking part in a series of 5 and 10k races and helping to raise money for Dreamflight, a very worthwhile cause that provides holidays of a lifetime for seriously ill and disabled children. Between you and me, I'm just hoping they won't ask me to run in any races!
Posted by Alan (20-AUG-10)
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Gloucester Day Preparations
I've spent the day handing out leaflets about one of my favourite events - Gloucester Day which takes place this year on Saturday the 4th September, from 2pm.
This is a real chance to show the country how proud we are of our city and I'd like to see everyone involved - businesses, community groups, families, everyone! We're starting the day with a parade through the four gate streets of the city led by the Mayor and Sheriff of Gloucester, followed by a reception at the Brunswick Baptist Church in Southgate Street.
And for those of you who don't know about the history of Gloucester Day, the event dates back to the 17th Century and is a celebration of the lifting of the Siege of Gloucester in 1643. So if you're interested in taking part, give me a bell on 07973 472896.
Posted by Alan (10-AUG-10)
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A Time to Celebrate
I've never needed much of an excuse to start celebrating, but this week I will have been the official town crier of London's world-famous Stables Market for an incredible 18 years! I've seen some changes over the years but Stables Market is now the second largest tourist attraction in London and new developments are making it even bigger and better, with around 35 million visitors each year. I wonder if they'll be breaking out the champagne for me when I'm back there at the weekend?
Posted by Alan (3-AUG-10)
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Forget the Barbie... it's time for Christmas!
OK,
there may be more than five months to go until Christmas, but I read in the news today that major stores are already
getting ready to launch this year's festive campaign. Selfridges in London, for instance, will be opening its Christmas
shop on August 2nd which is the earliest ever opening for the Oxford Street store.
This time of year, I always get a lot of enquiries and bookings for the Christmas period and already my diary is filling up with festive parades and lights switch-on ceremonies around the country.
As usual, I'll be spending some time over the summer checking through the wardrobes and making sure that my Deluxe Father Christmas outfit is ready to go!
Posted by Alan (17-JUL-10)
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Leading the Procession
I
had a great day in London's Covent Garden yesterday. I was taking part in the annual rent ceremony, a weird and
wonderful occasion when members of the Covent Garden Area Trust march around the piazza to pay a peppercorn rent of
apples and flowers to freeholders of the land.
This annual parade is a really colourful event and I was proud to be able to lead the procession of trustees and jazz players around the site.
This year's event was particularly important as it marked the 30th anniversary of the opening of the central market building.
Photo kindly supplied by the Covent Garden Area Trust and copyright Sheila Burnett.
Posted by Alan (25-JUN-10)
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Collecting the Rent in London's Covent Garden
I was honoured to have been invited by the Covent Garden Area Trust to lead a ceremonial procession around the piazza later this month to collect a symbolic peppercorn rent.
The 'rent' of one red apple and one posy of flowers reflects the history of Covent Garden as a fruit, vegetable and flower market. It is paid annually to the freeholders of each of the surrounding five blocks of properties including the Central Market Building and the land which includes London's Transport Museum.
So, if you're in London on Thursday 24th June, listen out for the sound of a marching jazz band around 4.30pm and come and say hello.
Posted by Alan (8-JUN-10)
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Cool Britannia
One
of the best things about working as a town crier in London is that I get to meet so many different people from
all over the world. And there are certainly people of every nationality passing through my latest gig at the Cool
Britannia store in London's Piccadilly Circus.
Cool Britannia is by far the biggest (and coolest!) souvenir shop in London and, they say, throughout the rest of the UK, too. It's certainly keeping me busy!
Posted by Alan (31-MAY-10)
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Meet the New Town Crier of Hitchin
I was thrilled to have been invited earlier today to become the official Town Crier of Hitchin. Having worked regularly in the town for the last 19 years, I already know lots of people there and it's a great honour for me to be acknowledged in this way.
There are a lot of exciting things happening in Hitchin at this time. Businesses in the area voted last spring to turn the existing town centre management scheme into a Business Improvement District (BID). This has meant new funding to improve the whole business environment.
Posted by Alan (26-MAR-10)
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Growing Green Fingers
I
was up at the crack of dawn this morning to help the Royal Horticultural Society promote a new 'RHS Britain in Bloom'
event in London's Tower Hill.
Britain in Bloom is one of the largest horticultural campaigns in Europe aimed at creating a cleaner and greener Britain through community action.
The Society was celebrating the launch of a new play area which has been designed by local children.
We had a great day, handing out potted flowers to surprised commuters as they made their way to work.
Posted by Alan (24-MAR-10)
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