Blue Peter, the BBC children’s programme, has a competition: design a new console for Dr Who’s Tardis, to be built wholly from household items. This brings back many memories of watching hapless hosts being made to demonstrate how to build Fun Things from crepe paper, sticky-backed plastic, and empty egg cartons.
It also reminds me of how bloody cross I was when I was eleven and I won a BBC poetry competition–I got to read my poem on the radio and everything–and as my reward got only a Blue Peter annual (1972) Cheap bastards. Not even any chocolate. The winners of this competition, though, get to visit the Dr Who set. So if you know any kids who like designing things, send them to take a look.
Just to torment you (I’m turning into a Vogon…), here’s my winning entry from long ago:
In a Viking longship
on the way to glory
foaming round her long slim sides
the sea pounds in all fury.
As the sail begins to fill
she leaps ahead with joy
she too has a joy for plunder
though the waves may tear her asunder.
The crest of the ocean
reared and angry
curl under the stem
of that proud figure head.
Those fiersome [sic] eyes that seem to live
dancing and glinting then seeming to fade
But ever proud till they die.
Nicola Griffith 
It doesn't exactly scan, but it's still a great poem for an eleven year old. You had writing aspirations for far longer than you let on.
No aspirations at that time (other than athletic ones). It was a school writing exercise: 30 minutes to write something called 'Sea Journey'. So I did, handed it in, and ran out to play. No clue it was entered into a competition.
Vogon? I think not. This part sounds like someone we know and love,
“she leaps ahead with joy
she too has a joy for plunder”.
Some things don't change all that much as we grow older… :)
Plunder, yeah baby! Yee-ha!
Did your mother save a copy of this or did you?
My father saved it.
Deserved chocolate at least…Dr. Who competition sounds like a blast.