A PARADE of richly-clad participants and civic dignitaries will launch the Newton Abbot Town Criers’ Competition on the morning of Saturday September 9.

Events are due to get under way at 10.15am when the representatives of 15 towns from four westcountry counties will make their way from the Royal British Legion to Courtenay Street.

The first ‘home town’ cry is to be heard at 10.45am, with more following until a break at 11.45am.

The second ‘sweets’ cry will begin at 12.45pm and last for an hour, after which the judges will announce the winners and present trophies and prizes.

Mayor Cllr David Corney-Walker and his escort, Cllr Tom Corney-Walker, will make special presentations for the best dressed crier, best dressed escort and best dressed couple.

The host will be Newton Abbot’s own town crier, Nigel Kenneison, who is prevented from taking part in the competition by Guild rules.

Flying the flag for the Manorial Borough of Newton Abbot however will be Eveline Davies.

Also featuring on the day will be free family craft activities in Courtenay Street, courtesy of Creative Newton Abbot, plus the ancient St Leonard’s Tower will be open to visitors.

Another draw will be the offer of free face painting and balloons between 10am – 2pm.

‘This is a real taste of tradition in Newton Abbot and we’re looking forward to welcoming the criers from as far afield as Penzance in West Cornwall and Calne in Wiltshire,’ said Natalie Hicks, Events Co-ordinator for Newton Abbot Town Council.

‘We’re also opening up the clocktower as it’s a popular destination with locals and visitors alike, and in addition our Outreach Worker Kate Green will be providing a great free crafting event close by.

‘And we certainly know from previous events that the free balloons and face painting will go down a storm.

‘The actual cries will be taking place outside Austins but I’m sure no one will need directions, just follow the very loud voices coming from the town centre!

‘As a matter of interest, the traditional ‘oyez oyez oyez’ used by town criers to introduce themselves comes from old French and means ‘hear ye, hear ye, hear ye.

‘Believe it or not, it’s still used in American courts but thankfully you’ll not need to travel any further than Newton Abbot to hear it said on September 9.’

Newton Abbot Town Crier, Nigel Kenneison

For more information please email [email protected] or call 01626 201120.

Science of Collections Exhibition

A CANADIAN lynx that went on a killing spree in Newton Abbot and whose stuffed remains lain forgotten in a Bristol store for more than a century is among the artefacts set to star in a new exhibition at Newton Abbot Museum.

Also going on show as part of the Science of Collections event are fossils dating from 96 million years ago when Newton Abbot would have been lying under the warm waters of a shallow tropical ocean.

Curator India Jolly is hoping the month-long expo will help people understand the scientific processes that uncover the hidden natural history stories which lie beyond the exhibits.

‘From determining the lifestyle of a lynx raised in Newton Abbot, to supporting climate change data with 17th century butterflies, scientific processes can help uncover secrets of the past beyond the stories associated with the object,’ she said.

‘Science is used to conserve the items we look after. From fighting bug infestations to analysing the chemical make-up of materials, science helps us ensure that our museum collections are still here for future generations to discover.’

Complementing the exhibition are events throughout August, including family craft activities and evening talks. All explore history’s connection to the natural world,

The Lynx shot in 1903 had reportedly killed two farm dogs and ended up forgotten in the stores at Bristol Museum.

Scientific analysis of its DNA and bones confirmed it had lived at least part of its life in Newton Abbot, was raised in captivity and was between 11-17 years old at the time of its demise.

The 96 million-year-old fossil brittle stars were buried alive under the sea floor and have been preserved in spectacular detail.

‘The collection contains new species and provides information about their evolution and the ancient environment they lived in.

‘The exhibits are fascinating in their own right but the science which helps us understand them even more so,’ said India. 

The exhibition runs from August 1 – September 1, admission is free.  Visit https://museum-newtonabbot.org.uk for more information about summer events.

The below image shows the unfortunate lynx and other items from the exhibition

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For more information email [email protected] or call 01626 201121.

NEWTON Abbot Museum is set to host a collection of historic pottery souvenirs created locally for key royal events of the past.

The Fired for Royalty exhibition is being staged by the Torquay Pottery Collectors Society with doors due to open on Saturday June 10 and the items on display until July 6 as a celebration of the recent coronation of King Charles III.

The Exhibition showcases more than 100 commemorative pieces produced for events including Queen Victoria’s Golden and Diamond Jubilees, the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902, the Coronation and Silver Jubilee of King George V, the Coronation of King George VI and the Coronation and Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Also commemorated in pottery is the abdication of King Edward VIII who gave up the throne in 1936 so he could marry divorcee Wallis Simpson.

Project Curator Andy Violet said: ‘The establishment of the first pottery, the Watcombe Terracotta Company in 1869, in the Torquay area, spawned a number of potteries in the immediate locality and the south Devon area. ‘These potteries, using clay that equalled and even surpassed the Italian clays, produced a number of royal commemoratives for the prominent royal events of the late nineteenth century.

‘The royal commemorative souvenirs produced in south Devon differ from those produced by the Staffordshire potteries in that they were not factory produced with transfer decoration, but were hand thrown on a potter’s wheel and hand decorated in earthy coloured slips with roses, thistles and shamrocks with sgraffitoed inscriptions, and incorporated a crown and the heads of the monarchs.

‘They have more artistic merit than those decorated with simple transfer designs produced by the Staffordshire potteries.’

Museum Curator India Jolly said: ‘It’s wonderful to have this collection of Devon commemoratives on display so close to where they were produced.

‘We’re very grateful to the Torquay Pottery Collectors Society for arranging the exhibition which I’m sure will prove to be very popular given the interest in the recent coronation.’

Entry to the museum is free, visit www.museum-newtonabbot.org.uk for details.

The above image shows Andy Violet with a piece of the commemorative pottery.

For more information email [email protected] or call 01626 201121.