Ruby's poem makes national final

For the first time this year, Till and Glendale Rotary Club decided to try to get local schools to enter the Rotary Young Writer and Young Photographer competitions.

The theme for both in 2016 is Our World is Beautiful and the local judging panel gathered at the Cheviot Centre in Wooler in March to try to select a winner.

The judges were Lord James Joicey, of Ford and Etal Estates, Rachel Sinton, from the Glendale Gateway Trust, author Bea Davenport, also known as journalist Barbara Henderson, as well as our reporter Ben O’Connell and photographer Jane Coltman.

There were an array of excellent poems and photos submitted by youngsters from Whittingham and Branton First Schools, but, in the end, the decision was taken to select the photo taken by Whittingham pupil Oscar Chisholm and the poem by Branton’s Ruby Robinson-McKewon.

Both efforts went through to the regional round, which covers the Rotary district area from Berwick down to Teesside, where Ruby’s poem won the junior section and will go forward to the National Final.

Our World is Beautiful, by Ruby Robinson-McKewon

The stream runs slowly on a cold and frosty day

A woolly sheep comes to have a sip

And says “Our world is beautiful”

The pond sways on a hot and sunny day

A pink pig comes to have a gulp

And says “Our world is beautiful”

The river runs fast on a rainy, windy day.

A conceited cow comes to have a drink,

And says” Our world is beautiful”

The lake waves softly on a boiling hot day

A unicorn comes to have a lot of water

And says “My world is pretty

But your world is beautiful”.

The shiny sea runs, sways quickly and softly on a normal day

And everybody says “Our world is beautiful

Hooray!!!”