Peter Moore: former London town crier

(PA)

Peter Moore, who died on 20 December 2009 aged 70, was London's town crier for 31 years. He had suffered a heart attack last summer but carried on ringing his bell and promoting London until just before he died.

"He had been told that his heart was very weak but he never gave up doing his town crying," his former partner Maxine Howard said. "Peter was a trooper, a workaholic. He was a people person. He just adored London."

Moore was brought up by Barnardo's in Walsall and, said Howard, "ran away to seek his fortune in London". He became an actor and played the undertaker Mr Sowerberry in the original stage production of Oliver! in 1960 but work later dried up. He was then asked to act as a town crier for an event and his new role was born. It was a role which took him all over the world, promoting London as a tourist destination. He also appeared at every one of the New Year's Day parades through central London and had already recorded scenes welcoming revellers to last Friday's event.