Honiton Town Crier Dave Retter is days away from hanging up his bell and retiring but not before he has declared ‘the glove is up’ and led this year’s hot pennies celebrations on Tuesday, July 29.
Dave, aged 73, is gearing up to welcome the excited crowd who annually flock to Honiton for the 805-year-old hot pennies’ celebrations, eagerly jumping and scrabbling around to collect as many warm coins as they can.
While this year will be Dave’s last as town crier, he has spoken of his pride to be handing over the tradition to his deputy, Caroline Kolek, who will take on the title from August.
Dave Retter, right, led his first hot pennies as town crier in 1996. He will retire shortly after this year’s ceremony, handing over to his deputy, Caroline Kolek, left, to take on the role.
Photo: Honiton Town Council.
“I am stepping down for health reasons,” said Dave. “In March I had a stroke. I am doing very well but that made me decide to step down. I had hoped to do 36 years and be Honiton’s longest town crier on record.”
Among Dave’s final shouts is the hot pennies celebrations. He plans to attend Honiton show, and on August 9 he will be in Honiton High Street to bid a fond farewell to his well-wishers, saying it had been a ‘thrill and honour’ to serve the town.
Dave, who took on the role after spotting an advert in the local paper – placed by the town council ‘desperate’ for a town crier and mace bearer – will remain on the hot pennies committee.
While he plans to spend more time in his garden, and with his golden retriever dog, Bella, Dave said it was ‘important’ to him and Honiton that Caroline will carry on the town crier tradition, championing events such as hot pennies.
The hot pennies ceremony starts at 12noon. After the town crier has given the traditional shout – the same words said for hundreds of years – warm pennies will be strewn for the waiting crowds to collect.
Archive photo from 2019: East Devon News
For those who have never been before, expect lots of laughter and scrambling on the ground to pick up the warm pennies raining down onto the street below from the second floor windows of some of the High Street businesses and pubs.
The fun event, dating back 805 years, is free to attend and is suitable for all ages.
Archive photo from 2019: East Devon News.
Dave, who has served Honiton as town crier for 30 years, said: “It’s a quirky event. Hot pennies is the reason I took on being town crier. When I was at school you got to know the hot pennies ceremony. I would skive off school to go because if you got 6p you were quite well off .”
For the last three decades Dave, dressed in all his finery, with the decorated garlanded pole, has led the crowds through the town, stopping at pubs and historic buildings for pennies to be scattered from above to the waiting throng.
Archive photo from 2019: East Devon News.
Archive photo from 2019: East Devon News.
This year’s ceremony starts outside The Volunteer next to the police station at the bottom of the town, where Dave will shout ‘Ye Glove is up’ before the scattering of the first hot pennies.
He is expected to lead the celebrations up the High Street, finishing at the Old Pannier Market, where the garlanded pole will be hoisted high and the town mayor scatters the last of the hot pennies.
Archive photo from 2019: East Devon News.
Archive photo from 2019: East Devon News.
The fun starts after the town crier calls ‘Oyez, oyez, oyez! The glove is up, the glove is up, the glove is up. The Fair has begun, the fair has begun, the fair has begun. No man shall be arrested, no man shall be arrested, no man shall be arrested, until the glove is taken down, until the glove is taken down, until the glove is taken down. God save the King!’
Archive photo from 2019: East Devon News.
The hot pennies route changes each year so the garlanded pole is rotated between the businesses and pubs distributing coins.
For many years it was held as part of the town’s celebrations to mark its royal charter anniversary.
This year the road will be closed at the lower section of the High Street, from 11.45am until 1pm, and there will be some changes to the bus services, the town council said.
