TOWN Crier Edgar Harwood will be made an Honorary Alderman for a lifetime of service to Droitwich Spa.
Mr Harwood’s distinguished civic contribution was unanimously backed by the town council and he will receive the historic honour and a medal at the annual council and mayor making on May 11.
The Alderman title dates back to Anglo-Saxon times and used to refer to those who exercised the power of the King.
Mr Harwood, who said he was thrilled to be recognised by his peers, has spent much of his life in or near to Droitwich but has also had stints in Canada.
Born in Birmingham, the 80-year-old spent the majority of his career working in the steel industry after leaving Bromsgrove School.
He became a prominent member and later the chairman of Droitwich Round Table.
At 39, in his final year as a ‘tabler’, he was made the international officer for Round Table Britain and Ireland and represented the group in New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Denmark.
He became the town crier in 1980 after winning a competition at the carnival and still holds the post today.
He fought the 1987 general election for Mid-Worcestershire which then covered Droitwich and Redditch and later became a Worcestershire County Councillor and a Droitwich Town Councillor representing the Labour Party.
Mr Harwood’s achievements appear endless, having also served two terms as the president of Droitwich Spa Rotary Club.
He successfully persuaded other members to take over the Father Christmas Sleigh when Droitwich Round Table folded.
He is also chairman of The Droitwich Theatre and Arts Club and a member of The Droitwich Spa Civic Society, The Droitwich Allotment Association, The Droitwich Spa and District Horticultural Society and the Droitwich Spa 41 Club.
He has raised thousands of pounds for local charities over the years and has completed the St Richards Hospice Waterways Walk every year since 2010.
“I just love this town. It means so much to me,”added Mr Harwood.
