A national creative writing Competition was held to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. The competition was judged by James Mates of ITN and children’s author Michael Morpurgo. Both felt that the entries from Largymore Primary were of an exceptional standard.
It was very pleasing for the school to learn that their pupils, Julie Mills, had received equal first and Matthew Cooper, runner up in the UK wide competition.
James Mate’s commented on Julie’s poem, “It had a great rhythm to it. I particularly liked the final six lines which conveyed to me the lasting mental as well as physical, legacies of Chernobyl. The low-key tribute to the courage of her fireman father I found very touching.”
The principal, Mr. Harry Stewart, welcomed the result and commented that maybe the school’s close association with schools in Belarus for the last 10 years allowed the children a greater awareness and understanding of the horrific disaster.
Mr. Les Stratton, Coordinator of UK Associated School’s Project Network for UNESCO, of which Largymore Primary is a founder member, congratulated the children and added that this was the type of empathy and global understanding that we wish to promote and encourage in the ASP Network.
Mr. Stratton will shortly visit the province to have discussions on furthering UNESCO’s ASP Network ethos.
Extract from Julie’s poem :-
“I did not know where dad was – he might have been away !
He was just a lowly fireman who had to earn his pay.
Later I discovered he had been very brave.
He gave his life for others and many did he save.
We left for the city and there we now remain.
Long distance from our home and nights of thought and pain.
Years have now passed since that horrendous day.
An accident maybe ……… but now everyone pays.”
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