Town crier nicknamed 'gobby bird' retires

An award-winning town crier nicknamed "gobby bird" by her fellow criers has retired after 22 years.

Maths teacher Elizabeth Anderson-Watson, 51, said she had been well-suited to the role because "I've been very loud all my life".

However Elizabeth is leaving her post in the Lancashire town of Barnoldswick to join her daughter Hazel and baby grandson Alfie in Australia.

"It's been amazing, the people that I've met and the places I've been has just been fantastic," she said. "I do know quite a few of the Australian town criers and they're already trying to get me going out there so we'll probably continue".

The tradition of town criers is believed to date back to at least Medieval times.

They have been responsible for calling out proclamations on matters including public holidays, new taxes, wars and royal announcements with the traditional cry of "oyez, oyez", stemming from the French "ouïr" - meaning to listen.

Elizabeth's crying career started after she got to know council officials while trying to start a bus route from Earby to Barnoldswick for children to attend a sports centre.

She said councillor David Whipp told her the position was becoming vacant and thought she would be ideal because he "knew I could talk to anybody".

"I've just been very loud all my life, I've always been told to be quiet, so it was nice to find my tribe, finally," she said.

"When I went online, there was a whole world of town crying out there and I got very quickly scooped up into it, made a lot of really great friends."

She said her nickname in the town crying world is "gobby bird", which she wears with pride.

Elizabeth won titles including the 2008 European Town Crier Champion, and is only the second woman to ever win a UK national championship.

The role also led to TV appearances including The X Factor, Tipping Point and The Weakest Link.

Barnoldswick Town Council member Callum Hird, who presented Elizabeth with a bouquet to mark her retirement, said: "She has been a real asset to Barnoldswick as well as helping to promote the name of the town.

"We will all miss her very much but wish her well with her new life in Australia."

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