Liam Cragg is first and foremost a farmer from Grafton in the Township of Alnwick-Haldimand, but he is better known for a very different vocation.
He is an honest-to-goodness town crier, and he’s one of the best there is.
Liam is heading to Chester, England, this coming weekend to compete alongside about 25 other town criers from around the globe.
Liam took over the family farm when his mother passed away in 2014, but prior to that, he was in banking. He started in 1979 and worked in the industry for at least a decade before finding himself in Bracebridge as part of the many moves he made in the banking world.
Around 1999, Cragg was a Rotarian in Bracebridge when planning for the annual Christmas parade saw him dress as a town crier and walk in front of a float with the theme “Communication: Past and Present.” A chance to dress up and play the part became a lifelong activity for Cragg, which is about to take him across the pond to compete among the cream of the town-crier crop.
In his first local competition, Cragg came in second, behind only Bruce Krueger, who has represented Bracebridge for more than 25 years. But it was enough to prove to him that this was something he was born to do.
Cragg became the official town crier in 2017 when council gave the go-ahead, with one caveat from Cragg.
There are approximately 400 town criers in the world, says Cragg, with most hailing from Europe and England, where they plied their trade well before widespread literacy. There will be competitors from as far away as Australia, all vying for the title of best in the world.
There is an opening banquet on September 21, and the competition runs for four straight days, from the 23rd to the 27th, with the finals on the final day.
Each of the contestants is required to compose a cry extolling the virtues of their hometown, and Liam has presented his entry for us right here:
We will be anxiously awaiting the results of the competition, and we wish Liam Cragg the best of luck in the event.
(Written By: Richard Evans)
