|
HE RODE a camel down
Kensington High Street, appeared with
David Letterman on The Late Show in
America and has promoted London's tourist
attractions across the globe for the past
28
years. Next Saturday he
will be spreading the news a little closer
to home as Borough Market celebrates its
250th birthday. "Have bell, will travel"
says Peter Moore, official Town Crier to
Southwark and the Mayor of London since
1978. But what exactly does "Oyez Oyez"
mean?
Matt Humphreys tries to
get a word in edgeways...
"The job of town crier
dates back to the Battle of Hastings in
1066,. says Peter Moore, a man who clearly
knows his history. "News of the Norman
invasion was passed from town to town and
William the Conqueror's proclamation was
called out to the gathered
townsfolk.
"That's
where 'Oyez: comes from,. he explains.
"It's from the French 'ecoute' which means
'listen up'."
Peter has kept this
tradition alive for almost three decades,
and his booming voice and clanging hand
bell are instantly recognizable across any
London square or street comer.
"The town crier was
Britain's first newspaper." he says
proudly. "You see, even as far as the late
19th Century most people couldn't really
read very well. The plague, The Great Fire
of London, Guy Fawkes, Waterloo, all of
this would have been spread by town
criers."
Like
his predecessors, his red and gold robes
and tricorn hat, completewith ostrich
feathers, are still tailored by the
Queen's Robe Makers a mere snip at over
£2,000 a time.
"Children see me all
dressed up and come rushing up to me," he
says "They think I'm Captain
Hook!"
His deep, theatrical
baritone is as clear as a bell. With all
the costumes and the pomp and ceremony,
does the job of town crier require a
certain level of performance?
"Absolutely! I started
out as an actor doing TV and stage work in
fact. Once I get the robes on I'm
away."
|
So does he ever to do
vocal warm-ups before a
function?
"Sometimes," he says.
"But because I'm a trained actor I never
lose my voice. My voice is my forte.
Without my voice I couldn't
work."
These days, in the
digital age of 24-hour news and the
internet; the job of town crier seems as
much a corporate role as it is
ceremonial.
Peter promotes the
British tourist industry across the world
and frequently acts as toastmaster
"Children
see me all dressed up and come rushing up
to me," he says "They think I'm Captain
Hook!"
at important
business functions. However, he is just as
likely to be seen alongside the Mayor of
Southwark opening the local coffee morning
or arts festival.
"I've
met everyone from the Pope to the
President of The United States of
America," he
declares grandly. "Everyone is important
to me though, no matter who they are. I
love my job. I meet lots of wonderful
people every day..
Peter's proudest moment
was announcing the birth of Prince William
outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. An
understandably patriotic man, he is
something of an ambassador abroad for not
just for Britain and the capital, but for
Southwark itself.
On October 21st he will
be opening the 250th birthday celebrations
of Borough Market by reading out the
original Act of Parliament that originally
established the four-and-a-half acre site
in 1756.
"Southwark was recently
voted the most historic borough in London
by English Heritage," he informs me. "I
love working in Southwark, it's a
wonderful place. So much history and
heritage...The markets are wonderful of
course, all that marvellous
food."
A non-drinker, perhaps
to preserve his voice, Peter also owns a
greyhound which he runs at Wimbledon race
track. In what little spare time he has,
he also enjoys listening to classical
music.
But after nearly 30
years has he started to think about
retirement?
"The day that 1 stop
enjoying it is the day that "If stop doing
it,. he says without hesitation. "I still
love it. 'Oyez, oyez' in Southwark is
something to shout about, that's what I
say.'
|
