Hear ye, hear ye!
A record-breaking town crier is shouting from the rooftops to show her support for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
Brenda Willison has just booked her place in the Guinness World Records after raising her voice to an astonishing 105.9 decibels. It means she holds the titles for the loudest female town crier, and the 72-year-old is proudly turning heads and championing EACH after paying a visit to the charity’s shop in Thetford. Brenda is a regular customer, as well as a donor, but Monday’s visit was her first since news of the Guinness World Record broke.
Her official attempt came on 9th September and the story has subsequently been picked up by media outlets including the BBC and ITV, as well as making headlines in Australia and New Zealand.
“It’s been crazy, and my granddaughter tells me I’ve gone viral,” said Brenda, who lives in Weeting and became Newmarket’s town crier in 2013. “I’m very proud and happy to support an amazing charity like EACH. I’ve been into the shop several times, buying items and donating things, and while I was there the other day, I got chatting to the team.
“For a bit of fun, I used my town crier voice to welcome everyone inside, and it’s nice being able to help spread the word and raise awareness. EACH is a great charity and I know it takes an awful lot to run three hospices – money that has to be raised through fundraising, donations and EACH’s shops. Anything I can do to help is a pleasure.”
Brenda has served as a town crier since 1987 and competed around the world, including in Australia, and in 1993 she won the World Town Crier Championship in Niagara Falls, Canada.
