Oyez, oyez, oyez, shouted 81-year-old Town Crier Alfie Johnson resplendent in his uniform. He tolled his bell from the town hall steps, where Marlborough’s flag still flew at half mast.
From the harvest festival civic service at nearby St Mary’s, the Mayor, Edwina Fogg, and town councillors in ceremonial dress walked in procession to Sunday’s communities market in the High Street.
And there they offered a one minute’s silent tribute to Derek Wolfe, Marlborough’s town clerk, who died suddenly last month, his widow Lynette and step-daughter Katrina present among them to bow their heads in family love and remembrance.
It was a sad occasion but one too at which Marlborough’s Rector, Canon Andrew Studdart-Kennedy, offered a prayer and blessed the market, which 58-year-old Derek helped Transition Marlborough set up and became a director of its operating company.
“I am simply going to sprinkle some water on the tents and canopies as we go round,” the Rector explained to the crowd of surprised shoppers. “As we do so, it is a way of saying thank you to Derek for all of your skill and your commitment to this place of local produce and local work.
“And also a fitting way of remembering Derek and his commitment to the market and to Marlborough.”
The mayoral party then made its way to the town hall where the market’s arts and crafts extension was in action and the Rector repeated his prayer and blessing.
“It was a moving and fitting tribute to our late town clerk,” the Mayor told Marlborough News Online. “When I gave my message at the civic service I said there was a gap in the procession here and a gap in our lives with Derek’s tragic death.
“He was so committed to the transition town movement and to the community market. You can see how those involved were so devastated when he died because he was such a huge supporter of the event.”
She recalled how one admirer had burst into tears on hearing of Derek’s death, in the Great Western Hospital, Swindon, after suffering from a ruptured aortic aneurysm.
The mayor added: “So many people have written in to the town council about the shock of his death, written in to say how much he obviously loved the town and how he involved himself during the time he lived here during in the working week.
“He will always be remembered for that.”
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