BROMSGROVE Town Crier Kevin Ward was presented with a special ‘leather holster’ for his famous bell at Saturday’s Bromsgrove Court Leet Fair Day.
It comes as Kevin retired as an NHS theatre nurse – a role he has held for 43 years, working at hospitals across the Midlands, including Selly Oak and the old Birmingham Accident Hospital.
Fittingly, he was presented with his bell holder by Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid, also MP for Bromsgrove.
He has been the Court’s bellman for 37 years and was a direct descendant of Jacob Wilson, Birmingham’s last town crier, taking up the role after winning a competition.
Since then he has completed at least 120 competitions around the world. He was British Open Champion in 1999 and came seventh in the World Championships in 2010.
During his tenure he has given more than 14,800 cries, including 30 across 27 engagements during the recent Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend.
Kevin said he was overwhelmed with the presentation and he would now have more time for his town crier activities.
“It has been my absolute privilege and pleasure to serve Bromsgrove and tell the wider world what a wonderful place this town is.”
The bell holster, hand-crafted by the Bromsgrove Cobbler, also featured a mini plaque bearing the names of all the town’s previous criers.
