To mark Lancashire Day, 27 November 2023, Great Harwood Town Crier Rawden Kerr was invited to a reception, celebrating Lancashire, in the Speakers House at the Palace of Westminster. There, he sounded the Real Lancashire Cry, the first time Parliament has witnessed it.
Mr Kerr was invited to the reception with his wife by Hyndburn and Haslingden MP Sara Britcliffe, who arranged with the Speakers Office in advance an opportunity for Great Harwood’s own Town Crier to mark the occasion with the Real Lancashire Cry.
To mark the occasion, Ms Britcliffe also arranged for other Hyndburn and Haslingden representatives to be present, including Antony Pilling of the Grane Mill Restoration Project in Haslingden and Damien Smith from Smith’s Fruit & Veg at Accrington Market Hall.
The reception at the Speakers House in the Palace of Westminster is hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, who is himself a proud Lancastrian and MP for Chorley. It offers a chance for MPs and representatives from their communities to come together to celebrate Lancashire.
A town crier, also called a bellman, is an officer of a royal court or public authority who makes public pronouncements as required. The town crier was used to make public announcements in the streets. Criers often dress elaborately, by a tradition dating to the 18th century, in a red and gold coat, white breeches, black boots and a tricorne hat.
Commenting, Sara Britcliffe said:
It is always special to bring constituents to Westminster, but on this occasion it was extra-special. Hearing the Lancashire Cry ring through the walls of Parliament was a fantastic moment.
Whether it’s Rawden as Great Harwood’s Town Crier, Antony from the Grane Mill Project or Damien from Smith’s Fruit and Veg, it is so important that we recognise the brilliant people we have in Hyndburn and Haslingden and promote them down in Westminster.
