Home Local News WW1 creative writing and music competition winners rewarded

WW1 creative writing and music competition winners rewarded

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Photo: Competition winners with the Mayor and Mayoress (centre), Libraries Service Development Manager, Kathryn Boothroyd (end left), Sue Williamson, Head of Library Services (end right) and representatives of Newton Rotary Club and the West Lancashire Freemasons Charity

Children and young people of the borough have been rewarded for taking part in a creative writing and music competition about living in St Helens during the First World War.

Now in its second year, the competition –sponsored by Newton Rotary Club and West Lancashire Freemasons Charity – was run by St Helens Libraries and St Helens Music Service and involved over 100 school pupils aged 7-14 submitting poems, letters, diary entries, musical pieces and songs about ‘Life on the Home Front.’

They creatively described how they would feel on hearing about the war, if their relatives have gone to fight abroad, if they wished that they had gone with them – and what life was like in St Helens during this time.

The Mayor and Mayoress of St Helens, Councillors Steve and Lynn Glover were on hand at Central Library to award prizes to Noah Bayley who won 1st prize in the primary category, Holly Hirst (2nd) and Dylan Newton (3rd). In addition, Kayne Johnson was highly commended and Lizzy Harrison and Ella Nield were commended for their entries.

In the secondary school category, Adam Hughes was awarded 1st prize, Niamh Dowd (2nd), Luke Pontin (3rd) – while Holly Cooper scooped highly commended and Naomi Roberts’ effort won her commended.

St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School pupils Lewis Aspin York, Oliver Brown, Michael Collins, Jessica Forsyth, Callum Hardman, Aaron Harley, Kelvin Holland, Megan Lyon, Zak Price, Brandon Sarbutts, Jessica Woodacre were awarded 1st prize in the music category and will attend a music workshop with musician Bill Connor, as well as get the opportunity to perform their piece at the Music Service Summer Showcase event.

Winners of the written category received a £35 book token and £75 worth of books for their school, with runners up will also receiving book tokens and books for their schools.

Sue Williamson, Head of Library Services, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the efforts of so many young people. Their creativity has really demonstrated an insight into what life might have been like for those whose lives were impacted by the First World War.

“Although we are only in our second year of running this competition, it has been very well received. All of those who have taken part have shown their appreciation of this part of British history which was so significant for people living in St Helens.

“We would like to see this competition grow even bigger and hope even more young people will participate when it runs again next year.”

Meanwhile, there was another cause for celebration over in Central Library as William Shakespeare was remembered 400 years on.

Winners of the creative writing and music competition, along with library staff, the Mayor and Mayoress and representatives from Newton Rotary Club and the West Lancashire Freemasons Charity, were all too happy to get into the spirit of things by having their picture taken, posing with famous Shakespeare quotes.

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Photo: Competition winners with the Mayor and Mayoress (centre), Libraries Service Development Manager, Kathryn Boothroyd (end left), Sue Williamson, Head of Library Services (end right) and representatives of Newton Rotary Club and the West Lancashire Freemasons Charity, posing with famous Shakespeare quotes.

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