CPRE Cheshire/Cheshire Life Magazine 2008 Writing Competition - under-18 winners
Winner - Callum Fryer, Tytherington
What Cheshire means to me
Cheshire means to me going for bike rides in the lovely countryside.
Cheshire has everything from adventurous forest to wild sea, mysterious caves to rolling hills and calming old villages and towns with delicious local food.
My favourite part is Tytherington because it is my home. You can go for easy bike rides along the Middlewood Way and at Farmfields. You can do loads of exciting activities like tennis, swimming, golf and basketball. Tytherington has a thriving community with a bonfire, new years eve party and fireworks. Other things I enjoy doing in Cheshire are sledging on the hills and playing with my friends outside where I live.
In 20 years time there will be more houses, less calming countryside and more cars. I'd like to keep the houses we've got now, the places I can ride my bike and the animals in the fields. I'd like to see less cars and a different power source for cars to help save the environment.
Runner up - Serena Grace, Malpas
What will happen?
Here I stand on my balcony looking out over all the grass land on my farm. I see all the animals happily playing with each other. I can hear birds singing away in their trees. I can smell the fresh cut grass as the fields are cut for hay. I love rural Cheshire. In 20 years time I wonder what will happen. I can see a road cutting through the trees that will cause lots of traffic. I can see buildings after buildings everywhere that have become a new suburb of a sprawling Chester. The lush green grass has turned into a hardier dry yellow grass, which reminds me of the South of France.
They have to use sprinklers as there is little rain as a direct result of global warming. The litter has piled up over the years because the cost of taking it away has gradually become too expensive. There are now rows and rows of wind turbines generating electricity, and it doesn't look very pretty either. The animals I like to see playing are now gone. They have been replaced by fields and fields of crops, to feed millions of starved people as the global food shortage increases. I wonder, or wonder not, how this vision may come true, and I realise that it depends on the everyday decisions that we will all come to face.
Highly Commended - Madeline Travers, Prestbury CE Primary School
What Cheshire means to me
When I think of Cheshire I think of sunny, clear, blue skys, chirping blue birds and lush greenery.
High hills, dark caves and crystal clear rivers and a beautiful coastline; all of these things are in Cheshire.
Prestbury must be my favourite place because it is my home. Prestbury is a wonderful place to be because of the calm, friendly atmosphere. Festivals like the Rose Queen or Family Fun Day take place once every year. For kids there is an outstanding school... Every where you look meandering rivers, green, swaying trees and the most gorgeous flowers surround you. St Peters Church is in the heart of the village as soon as you step in.
I think that Prestbury is perfect the way it is. I do not want it to change in the next 20 years. If you add anything else would just be a waste of space!
The weather may not be great at all times but when the sun is out you will be out. Any time you want to go for a walk Prestbury is the perfect place to do that.
The wildlife in Prestbury is wonderful. There are cute squirrels and ducks and bees, butterflys and many more. And that is why Prestbury is my favourite place in Cheshire.