NEWPORT Town Council delighted many visitors and local people last Saturday with its colourful spectacle celebrating the role of traditional town criers.

It offered the large, appreciative crowd which turned out to support it, an innocent entertainment that was refreshingly different: not a duck race, a bazaar, a funfair or a jazz band, but a celebration of town criers. Clearly, the planners have imagination.

We need more of such public events.

Last Saturday’s event, aided by sunny weather, had the crowd good humouredly echoing some of the criers’ greetings in true panto fashion; indeed, as befits a Welsh crowd, they virtually sang them back!

As someone who for 45 years was a reluctant participant in many – so very many!

– fund-raising events organised, albeit, by well-meaning and hard-working people, I enjoyed this one because it was different. Well done! organisers.

ANTHONY WINTLE

Market Street

Newport