Is Louis Blackpool's newest young bard?

The nine year old budding bard expressed his views on Blackpool in words and pictures- and won himself an iPad Mini and a bundle of books.

Louis, a pupil at Waterloo Primary Academy in South Shore, won a competition, launched during lockdown, in which children were asked to draw or write a poem about their memories of Blackpool during lockdown .

He entered the competition with both a poem and a colouring entry and his poem, inspired by Blackpool’s famous promenade, was chosen as the winner of Get Blackpool Reading’s poetry writing and colouring competition.

The project was inspired by the rainbows of hope that appeared in people’s windows throughout the pandemic. Children were encouraged to display their work in their windows for families to enjoy during their daily exercise.

Louis received an iPad Mini and a bundle of brand new books provided by leading publishers, Penguin Random House, to inspire him to continue t with his reading and writing. More than 10 runners up also scooped a book to keep.

Louis said: "Winning the competition makes me feel really proud of myself, I can’t believe I actually won. It feels like a dream.

"I will be using the iPad to watch videos, play games and it will really help me with my school work."

Laura Flinn, Get Blackpool Reading Campaign Manager, said: "We were thrilled to see so many local children lighting up Blackpool in their Draw and Display tour competition entries.

"We know that both mark-making and writing poetry can inspire children to be creative, share ideas and express their thoughts and feelings and we hope it brought families plenty of happiness during a challenging time.

"We absolutely loved reading Louis’s poem and seeing his picture and hope he uses his new iPad Mini to download and read lots more books to add to his new collection."

Chairman of the Blackpool Opportunity Area partnership board, Graham Cowley, added: " Draw and Display was a fantastic competition and very well done to Louis for his winning poem. It reminds us of what we’ve missed for so long in lockdown and demonstrates the positive side effects that writing can have on us all, especially through a difficult time.

"Blackpool Opportunity Area will be supporting lots of work to improve literacy across Blackpool over the coming year, including excellent campaign activity like this creative competition."

Louis's winning poem

Blackpool, Blackpool roller coasters and waterslides,

Blackpool, Blackpool home to a lovely seaside,

Blackpool, Blackpool we have a lovely zoo,

Three fantastic piers and an aquarium too.

Walking down the prom eating ice cream,

Making sure we’ve put on our sun cream

Looking at our nice clean beaches,

Please take home your rubbish to protect our sea creatures

Riding high up in Blackpool tower

Dive into the arcade if it starts to shower

If you want to go a donkey ride,

Be wary of the incoming tide.

So before you go and visit a foreign land

Come and visit us and our golden sands.