Retiring town crier 'sorry' to go

Mr Stubbings said he enjoyed meeting people and going places

The town crier in Lincoln is retiring after 14 years of service, and the city is looking for a new voice.

Terry Stubbings was chosen from among 16 applicants at an event organised to find a town crier in 1994.

He described it as "a fantastic job", and added that he is retiring only because he will be moving to Liverpool to be closer to his family.

Mr Stubbings said: "It is a job that I love, and I am really desperately sorry to be leaving."

The job of town crier is not salaried, and "you are never ever going to get rich on it", but he said he had enjoyed the opportunity to travel and meet people.

The town crier is paid for official events that he is asked to attend where the sheriff and the mayor are present, for which he has to don the official 18th Century uniform.

Mr Stubbings also does charity work and hires out his services for private events, such as lectures on the history of the town crier.

He added that the town crier has to be a people person, confident, able to use the English language well and have a good voice.