Worthing Town Crier - Bob Smytherman

Bob carries out the role of Town Crier on a totally voluntary basis and receives no salary, any charges where levied are solely to cover expenses associated with role and any surplus monies received are donated to local Charity Guild Care each year

Worthing Town Crier

Bob Smytherman is the official Town Crier for Worthing, West Sussex a role re-introduced by the Worthing Town Centre Initiative in 2014 helping to promote the Town and its events and activities.

The last Town Crier Philip Holliday hang up his bell in the mid 1990’s after being appointed to civic office in 1980. For nearly 20 years Worthing has not had a Town Crier and the Worthing Town Centre Initiative, a business led organisation, felt this was a missed opportunity.

Bob Smytherman was Mayor of the Borough of Worthing from 2013 to 2014 and was known as #coolmayor as his use of social media catapulted the mayoral role into the 21st Century and to a new younger demographic. Bob was a very popular Mayor who carried out a record number of civic duties and became known as the 'People’s Mayor' with his friendly approachable manner.
In 2014 Bob was asked to take part in the Community Play and was given the role of Town Crier; a role he then offered to continue for the Town.

More about Town Criers

Originally a town crier, or bellman, was an officer of the court who made public pronouncements as required by the court. The role developed to include making public announcements in the streets with the Criers dressing in elaborately decorated robes, white breeches, black boots and a tricorn hat. Town Criers carry a handbell to attract people's attention, as they shout the words "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! " before making their announcements. The word "Oyez" means "hear ye, " which is a call for silence and attention. Oyez derives from the Anglo-Norman word for listen.
In 2010 there were 144 towns in England and Wales with town criers registered with the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Town Criers and today they mainly perform ceremonial duties for their Town.