The winning poem by an adult was awarded to Lynda O'Neill of Winchester, for 'Wilfred Owen at Netley Hospital'.

Embroidery

In the photo a soldier embroiders,
his one leg outstretched in a  wooden wheelchair.
Therapy for splintered synapses,
eyes and ears and nostrils,
unblessed by amnesia.

In jolting hospital footage
men salute, march compulsively.
Agitated beyond torment, they groan and curse,
sing ‘Pack up your troubles…’
hoot endlessly with unamused laughter.

Were you made to embroider, Wilfred,
by soft-voiced nurses who knew nothing of your poems?
Were you numb, compliant, or did you rage?
Did you think it pointless doing satin stitch and daisy chains
to reproduce flowers in quiet fields?

The winning story by an adult was awarded to Caroline Wigley of West End, for 'A Butterfly Day'

Download the story 43kb pdf

The runner up was Lorna Howarth of Hayling Island, for her story 'A Long, Long Trail'

Download the story 21kb pdf

The winner in the Under 16s category was Daniel Getliffe, age 12 of Netley Abbey for his story 'A Trio, A Train and a Teleport'.

A Trio, a Train and a Teleport

It was a beautiful summer's afternoon at Royal Victoria Country Park. The sun was shining brightly amongst all the wonders of the huge landscape. At the train station,, the usual crowd of people queued to get tickets to travel on the train known as 'Terry (The Train)'. The passengers got on, and the train puffed into life and started moving forward on the track. The passengers were laughing and talking and enjoying the wondrous sights. Suddenly, a huge translucent circle appeared on the track. It consumed the train and all its passengers. Then the circle disappeared without a trace.

But, there were three witnesses. Katie, Alex and Mark. They had come to the park to play football, but now they were going to have to do something else. Save The Train! They stood there gaping, staring at the place the train had  once been.  After a few minutes, Alex, a thin dark haired boy, climbed onto the track and reached out. The now see-through circle rippled like water when hit by a stone. “Come on!” shouted Alex to Katie, a slim brown haired girl with glasses, and Mark, a medium-sized boy with freckles and blond hair. “What are we going to do?” asked Katie. “We're going to save them!” said Alex with a huge grin on his face.

Following that, he jumped into the circle known as a Wormhole Teleport, which takes the object to a different time and place in the universe. Katie and Alex followed reluctantly, rolling their eyes. Alex never thought before he acted. Inside the wormhole, everything was white apart from the light brown land ,which looked like sand, that they were standing on. They saw the train on its side nearby. The passengers and driver were sat there, shocked. “Is everyone O.K?” asked Mark. Some people groaned. “I'll take that as a yes, then.” Nearby, Katie spotted a disused Forklift truck, also on its side.“Must have done the same thing as the train, come through by surprise.” she thought. “Hang on, we can use it to move the train!” She called to Mark and Alex and the plan was put into action. Mark knew a lot about forklifts because his dad had one and used it at work. They got it working and pushed the train back through the wormhole. They were back where they started. The passengers congratulated the trio, and the train set off as if nothing had happened. The sun was shining brighter than ever. “Why did that thing appear?” asked Mark, puzzled. “We'll never know,” said Alex, “We'll never know.”

Inside the chapel, a mysterious man lowered his binoculars frowned. “No!” he screamed, slamming his fist onto the table. Then his face brightened. “There are plenty more country parks in Hampshire!” he said with an evil grin.

The runner up was Joy Getliffe, age 8 of Netley Abbey for her poem 'Having Fun at the Park'.

Having Fun in the Park

I love Victoria Country Park
The bluebells are a sign of Spring.
I see fantastic birds wings
As I fly on the swings.
I go on the train again and again.
As I go past the chapel,
The view’s as clear as a crystal.
My brother plays football on the green
He’s the best goalie you’ve ever seen!
I go to the café
At the end of the day.
I feel exhausted,
But glad I came here today!