Welcome to the website for Mark Wylie, Town Crier for Calne in Wiltshire.

Biography

Mark moved to the Calne area in 1968 at the tender age of two. He attended a number of schools in and out of the area, including Cherhill C of E Primary, St Edmunds Primary and finally Sheldon School in Chippenham. Apart from a few years away at university, Mark has stayed in the area and has recently moved to the village of Studley, between Calne and Chippenham. Mark is married to Alison. They have three boys, James, Daniel and Harrison.

In May 2007, Mark was shopping in Calne with his family when he discovered a competition was in full swing to find a new deputy Town Crier to support John Bridges, the then Town Crier of Calne, who was taking a year off for health reasons. Mark entered the competition, which was being judged by Tony Evans, the Town Crier for Nailsworth and Minchinhampton, and the then Chairman of the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers (AHGTC). To his great delight and surprise, Mark won the competition, although, when his son Daniel (aged 5 at the time) had a go, he definately won the popular vote!

In January 2008, after John Bridges sadly passed away, Mark was honoured to be asked to step up to the role of Town Crier for Calne. However, it was not until 2009, when the Mayor and Town Council of Calne decided to hold an official Town Criers Competition in June 2010, that Mark joined the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers.

Regalia

In June 2010, just in time for Calne's first ever Town Criers Competition, Mark was presented with his new robes. Mark had worked with Michael Mackie, the then Caretaker of the Calne Town Hall, and Michaels Civic Robes of Bristol to design the robes based on the newly-unveiled Calne Town Flag. The flag, designed by Mr Kevin Hatchman, a resident of Calne, contains the colours Blue, Green, White and Gold: Blue for the River Marden, which flows through the centre of Calne; Green for the land and geography in which Calne is situated; White stripe for the sheep that graze on the chalk downs and as a link to Wiltshire's own flag; Gold circle for the moment in history that put Calne on the world map, the discovery of Oxygen in Doctor's Pond by Joseph Priestley.

It was particularly gratifying, therefore, when Mark won Best Dressed Crier (as well as winning the competition!) at the Fairford Town Criers Competition on the 7th August 2010.

Bookings

As well as fulfilling his obligations to Calne Town Council, Mark is available to be booked for corporate events, charitable events, schools, colleges, carnivals, parades - pretty much any occasion that you can think of that would benefit from a splash of colour and a loud, clear voice! See the Contact page for more details.