A Great Bideford Tradition - New Year Fancy Dress
Bideford has now twice been heralded in the national press as hosting one of the top ten New Year’s Eve events in the world! The town puts on a host of activities, is closed to traffic and revelers enjoy the festivities in fancy dress. The people of Bideford really look forward to this annual event and every year thousands of people dressed in inventive costumes ranging from vampires to Disney characters flock to the town centre to enjoy the outdoor roadshow and dancing. There is often a Carnival which winds its way through the narrow streets of Bideford and along the Quay to the sounds of a local band. As midnight approaches, huge crowds in fancy dress congregate along the Quay for the countdown to midnight which culminates in the chimes of Big Ben and a lone piper playing Auld Lang Syne, followed by a sensational firework display.
The Town Crier - Letting the Town Know
The Town Crier is the most colourful official associated with the Town Council - rivaling the Mayor of the day in instant recognisability. The position is a lifelong one and only when the elected crier wishes to relinquish the position does it become vacant. It is a recognised civic position and is therefore representative of the Queen and the Town Council. The post is an ancient one with the early "bell man" being a cross between a "crier" of goods for sale etc and a town watchman. In 1677, for example, Bideford archives record "The common Cryer or Bell man of this Towne had a pension of eight pound a yeare allowed him for his nightly walks to see that the houses of this Towne and the shipping at the Key might be better preserved from the dangers which might happened from fire."
Our present Crier, Jim Weeks started in 1984 and now, having served for a quarter of a century is a very well-known representative at council events - at not all of which does he have to deploy in stentorian voice.
Download the latest edition of the Town Council Newsletter - Hard copies can also be obtained from the library or the Town Hall or you can view an online version by following the link below. Also distributed through local newspapers