Campaign to Protect Rural England - Cheshire Life writing competiton - the winning entries

These are the winning entries in the annual writing competition run by the Campaign to Protect Rural England and supported by Cheshire Life

These are the winning entries in the annual writing competition run by the Campaign to Protect Rural England and supported by Cheshire Life

Year Three winner

My walk in Anderton - Harriet Robyn O’BrienMe and my family had a lovely walk searching for flowers at Anderton. I saw a narrow boat on the canal and there were lots of people with dogs. I came across a big patch of flower in a meadow with lots and lots of bees on them. I saw a beautiful butterfly called a Red Admiral on a wild teasel.

I took my I-Spy book of wild flowers with me so that I could spot flowers and know their names. Me and my brother Patrick found some fallen branches and we used them as walking sticks. We were the leaders and chose which paths to take. My favourite part of the day was eating the juicy blackberries we picked off the bramble bush. We walked over a long big bridge and stopped to play pooh-sticks, which was fun. Me and my mummy picked some flowers to take home and press to make pictures.

Year Four winner

Owley Wood - Erin DowlingI chose Owley Wood because it is such a fun place to play and have a long walk with my dog, Maeve. In Owley Wood there is so much to do, like dipping your feet in the stream in the summer but then in the winter it is a great place to go sledging as it has loads of hills that are covered in snow. In the autumn all of the leaves fall off the trees and they make a rustling sound as you walk over them with your muddy wellingtons!

It is an awesome place to walk your dog because there is water for them to splash about in and also to meet and play with other dogs. My dog, Maeve, has a best friend called Stig she loves to play chase with him because they are both so fast and springy!

Year Five winner

The fields in Appleton Thorn - Flora WalkerThere is a wonderful green space where there are many trees in Appleton Thorn. Appleton Thorn is a village in Warrington, Cheshire. I live in Appleton Thorn, and my garden actually backs out onto those fields. We have a removable panel in our fence, so we just remove it and it’s as if the field next to our garden is part of our garden.

I have one older sister, and I have many happy memories of playing out in these fields in summer and winter with her. I also have a pet dog, and sometimes I walk her in these fields with my family. That is whay these fields are so special to me.

If someone wanted to build more houses where these fields are I would be very upset. This is because if they did, my village would be a village full of houses, instead of a village with a few houses, and lots of green fields. I wold probably start a petition and get everyone to sign it.

The fields in Appleton Thorn are a great public space to come and have a walk in. I’ve always loved living by loads of fields, and now you know why. Would you now come to visit the wonderful fields in Appleton Thorn?

Year Six winner

Lymm Dam - Megan SpiteriLymm is beautiful. The lake, a polished mirror with luscious emerald-leaved trees overhanging the cool, fresh water. The sapphire-blue sky, the clouds, soft as a new blanket of snow. The grass tickles my legs as each blade dances to the music of the wind through tangled trees.

‘Yes, little tree, I know. You love it here? I agree!’ I say. I love Nature’s symphony, it is sweet and calming for the little honey bee, he is busy and buzzy and buzzy and busy! I love his sound, you know.

My sense are tingling, green is everywhere. It's divine - the smell, the smell of nature… the weird and wonderful, not forgetting the wild, they all smell unique, but all together the make Nature’s signature aroma: Flower Power.

My time is almost up with you, don’t let us part, I sit down on the dancing grass, shaded by trees, listening to the symphony while filling my lungs, and think ‘I love Lymm Dam, what would I do without it? If I couldn’t come here, I would be so miserable. Flower Power is divine and nature symphony the best music I ever heard.’

Then I turn to my favourite tree and say: ‘Old Oaky - why do birds make their nests in you? Do you make a great home? I want to be a bird so I can live in you!’ oaky turns, puzzled, ‘Why, you already live here, you are the heart of Lymm Dam.’

Be a winner in 2012

The Campaign to Protect Rural England has been fighting to protect our countryside since 1926, and among their achievements are the establishment of Green Belts, National Parks, and the protection of some of our most valuable landscapes.

The charity wants to raise awareness of the hidden gems on our doorstep in Cheshire, and the annual CPRE Cheshire/Cheshire Life writing competition gives the chance for aspiring journalists to do just that.

Becca Nelson, Cheshire CPRE's press and membership officer and the organiser of the competition, said: 'Cheshire is a wonderful place to live - almost everywhere in the county is within reach of some of England's most beautiful landscapes where we can escape to the countryside and recharge our batteries.

'But very few of our landscapes and green spaces are protected and we can't take it for granted that they will not come under threat of development from road building, new housing and warehouses. We want readers to let us know where their favourite green space in Cheshire is, what makes it special to them, and how they would feel if it was under threat.'

The judges were impressed by the standard of entry to this year's competition and in particular some of the descriptive language used by the younger entrants. Cheshire Life deputy editor Paul Mackenzie said: 'There is a wealth of writing talent in Cheshire's schools and it was a real treat to be given a glimpse of what our young people are capable of and what they love about the countryside.'

The competition is open to non-professional writers of all ages and articles of no more than 250 words from children, schools and adult education writing groups are very welcome.

Articles must reach CPRE Cheshire by November 30th, 2011. The winners in each age category will be published in Cheshire Life in spring 2012.

CPRE

Writing competition entry form.

Entry forms are also available to download from the CPRE Cheshire website, www.cprecheshire.org.uk/competitions/2011_wrt_comp_entry_form_updated.pdf -

or from Debbie Janney at CPRE Cheshire’s Branch Office, 01606 835046. For more information about the competition, or about Cheshire CPRE, go to www.cprecheshire.org.uk,

email press.membership@cprecheshire.org.uk, or call the branch office between 9am and noon, Monday to Friday.