Having a loudmouth has finally paid off for Ed Christopher.

The Hamilton Town Crier recently finished with several trophies in a three-day Town Criers’ Competition in Dartmouth, UK.

He took home second place in both the Peter Randall Memorial Cup and Kingsbridge Cup, while also placing well overall in the Sir Francis Drake Armada Cup.

“Doing well in these competitions means a lot,” said Mr Christopher. “Being a town crier in Bermuda everyone looks at it as something fun, but to get recognised from my other colleagues from around the world is really special.

“Some of the newer guys came up to me and said ‘You are one we have to look out for because we hear you’re pretty loud and good at what you do’.

“So getting respect from other town criers is insurmountable. There’s nothing higher or better than that, to know they are looking up to you or looking out for you because they see you as their competition and the one to beat.”

Mr Christopher believes it’s his theatrics that sets him apart from other town criers.

“I demand attention when I make my announcements. My height as well catches people’s eye,” he said.

Town criers, known for their elaborate dress, would make public announcements in the courts or the streets in a tradition dating back to the 18th Century.

Mr Christopher, 57, got his start in the role nearly 20 years ago thanks to former Corporation of Hamilton Secretary, Roger Sherratt.

“The Queen was coming to Bermuda and Hamilton wanted to have its own town crier to announce her arrival,” he explained.

“Roger asked me. And I thought I would just be town crier for a day while the Queen and Duke were here. [The Corporation] told me what I needed to do and I guess what I did must have been good because I’m still here.”

Before that, Mr Christopher was known for being ‘Seadawg, the Pirate’ at events at Hawkins Island.

In his spare time he would flaunt his outgoing personality on Front Street while greeting tourists.

He said taking part in town crier competitions was really exciting and allowed him to see how he fared against overseas competitors.

For this particular three-day event, Mr Christopher was up against 37 other town criers, including those from Australia, Britain, Wales and Belgium.

He was actually brought to the UK along with St George’s Town Crier David Frith, who had been invited to Lyme Regis — the birthplace of Sir George Somers — due to its historical and cultural ties with the Island.

Mr Christopher and Mr Frith heard about the Town Criers’ Competition going on and decided to take part.

He got to reconnect with town criers he met on his trip back in 2000. There were also some new faces at the events.

He said the great thing about such competitions was they helped to build camaraderie between different towns.

“It’s also about the pomp and pageantry and gives people a chance to see town criers dressed in their full regalia, keeping up the tradition because a lot of people still don’t know about it today.”

Criers are typically judged on their ability to speak loud, but also clearly and consistently. Mr Christopher said his biggest challenge as a Bermudian stemmed from the fact he speaks fairly quickly.

“If I get excited I tend to run one word into the next, so it’s a challenge for each word to be heard,” he said.

“I think I probably lost out on first place because of that. I had one word that I stumbled with, and then repeated it so people could understand what it was.

“I know I lost points over that. That’s probably the part that lost me the Armada Cup.”

Mr Christopher looks forward to defending his title at next year’s UK-based event.

He is also excited to take part in Bermuda’s first Town Crier Competition, to be held here next April. The event will serve to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Parliament moving to the City of Hamilton.

“The important thing is I enjoy what I do,” he said. “I take my job seriously, but I don’t take myself seriously.

“If I was to look miserable and put a game face on it wouldn’t work. That’s maybe how I trick the other competitors because I’m always smiling.”