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| Railway crier becomes UK champion | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A steam railway enthusiast from Gwynedd has been crowned Britain's top town crier. | A steam railway enthusiast from Gwynedd has been crowned Britain's top town crier. |
| Martin Hallett, the resident crier at the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR), beat off 16 other contestants for the title from across the country. | Martin Hallett, the resident crier at the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR), beat off 16 other contestants for the title from across the country. |
| Mr Hallett, who lives at Rhosgadfan near Caernarfon, fought back from a recent throat infection to win the title at Biddulph in Staffordshire. | Mr Hallett, who lives at Rhosgadfan near Caernarfon, fought back from a recent throat infection to win the title at Biddulph in Staffordshire. |
| "The trick is to project your voice, if you shout you soon go hoarse," he said. | "The trick is to project your voice, if you shout you soon go hoarse," he said. |
| The Porthmadog-based WHHR is the only steam railway in the UK to have its own resident crier. | The Porthmadog-based WHHR is the only steam railway in the UK to have its own resident crier. |
| Mr Hallett said he became a town crier because he had always been interested in history and tradition. | Mr Hallett said he became a town crier because he had always been interested in history and tradition. |
| It's not the loudest voice that wins, you have to pitch it at the right volume Martin Hallett | It's not the loudest voice that wins, you have to pitch it at the right volume Martin Hallett |
| His first taste was after he saw an advert for the job of town crier for St Albans, Hertfordshire and later Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire. | |
| He said he did not know where the talent came from, but the trick was to project the voice not shout. | He said he did not know where the talent came from, but the trick was to project the voice not shout. |
| "Obviously I'm not allowed to shout at home, so I don't know where it came from," said. | "Obviously I'm not allowed to shout at home, so I don't know where it came from," said. |
| "I've had no training, and the trick is to project your voice, if you shout you soon go hoarse." | "I've had no training, and the trick is to project your voice, if you shout you soon go hoarse." |
| The art of crying was to "speak positively" he said. | The art of crying was to "speak positively" he said. |
| "In competition the judges look for sustained volume from start to finish - so it's not the loudest voice that wins, you have to pitch it at the right volume," he added. | "In competition the judges look for sustained volume from start to finish - so it's not the loudest voice that wins, you have to pitch it at the right volume," he added. |
| All criers have to write their own script too, and Mr Hallett said the top tip was "not to put too many s's and h's together but to get a good sprinkling of p's, b's and r's to give it the emphasis". | All criers have to write their own script too, and Mr Hallett said the top tip was "not to put too many s's and h's together but to get a good sprinkling of p's, b's and r's to give it the emphasis". |
| Mr Hallett works as a finance and administration officer by day but offers his services as a crier for events in the evenings and weekends. | Mr Hallett works as a finance and administration officer by day but offers his services as a crier for events in the evenings and weekends. |
| He is also the official mace bearer for Caernarfon town council. | He is also the official mace bearer for Caernarfon town council. |
| James Hewett, chairman of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, said of the win: "We're really pleased that Martin has been able to put Porthmadog, and the WHHR, on the map. | James Hewett, chairman of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, said of the win: "We're really pleased that Martin has been able to put Porthmadog, and the WHHR, on the map. |
| "He has only been our official railway town crier since the start of 2009, but we're really pleased with the way he's becoming part of the community here," he added. | "He has only been our official railway town crier since the start of 2009, but we're really pleased with the way he's becoming part of the community here," he added. |