A CENTURIES-old ceremony was updated with a rap twist!

On Saturday, the Cresta Court Hotel hosted the Hilary Assize of Altrincham Court Leet, which dates back to the 15th century.

The Town Crier, Burgess Peter Powell, rang his bell loudly to lead in the dignitaries.

Starting with the Provost, Burgess Ken Garrity. many of the Freemen of Altrincham gave reports.

Burgess Garrity spoke of the many ceremonies he had attended since, to his delight, becoming Provost last September.

The President of the Guild of Freemen of Altrincham, Alderman Denise Laver said that memorial services for the late Alderman Mark Rae and Bill Speakman, VC were being planned.

A blue plaque was also to be erected in memory of Bill Speakman, VC.

The Constable, Burgess Colin Yates, gave an entertaining observation on matters relating to law and order via a rap he had written for the occasion.

At the ceremony, the Court Leet recruited a new officer, that of Dog Muzzler! He was Burgess Chris Hanson, who had run a veterinary surgery, Barrington Lodge, in Barrington Road for 25 years.

Speaking off the cuff, Burgess Hanson recalled funny incidents from his time as a vet.

He explained how he handled snakes. “Snakes breath twice a minute and I kept them in a five litre ice cream container. It took half an hour to get them to sleep for biopsies, etc. One crept into the anaesthetic equipment which didn’t help.”

On another occasion, two road accident victims, one in plaster and the other on crutches, came into his clinic.

“They wanted me to check their budgies who, although in a bent cage, were perfectly okay.”