The picture on this page was taken around 1905, which was just after the end of the Victorian age. But it is such a good photograph that we decided to include it anyway !
It shows John Whitaker, who was the official "Town Crier" for Llanidloes at the time. His job was to ring his bell to attract the people of the town to come and listen to his latest announcements.

He had been appointed Town Crier in 1897, and had been a supporter of the Chartists, so he must have been quite old in 1905 ! In his later years he was given a smaller and lighter bell to use because his strength and his voice were both failing.
The Town Crier didn't get a uniform from the town - only the bell and a very small sum of money !

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