As it celebrates its 60th anniversary, the Severn Valley Railway is teaming up with Bewdley Festival’s Step into Stories event, to launch a brand-new children’s poetry competition, with family travel tickets on offer as prizes.
The competition is open to children aged from four to 16, and organisers are inviting youngsters to enter a poem inspired by their experiences of visiting the railway and steam trains.
‘This is a chance to get creative,’ said the SVR’s visitor engagement manager Lewis Maddox. ‘A trip on the SVR provides the perfect inspiration, with so many sights, sounds, smells and exciting things happening all around. We’re looking forward to receiving some amazing entries.
‘We’ve split the competition into three age categories, and are looking for poems of up to 20 lines. All the details on how to enter, as well as the terms and conditions, are on our website at svr.co.uk, and you’ve got until 24 March to send in your entry.’
The winner of each category will receive a Large Family ‘Freedom of the Line’ ticket, and two tickets to the Step into Stories evening concert on Saturday 12 April. Up to two runners up will also receive a prize.
The winning poems will be judged again to determine the best of the best. The winner will receive the Betti Moretti prize, awarded during the Step into Stories evening concert.
During Bewdley Festival week, the SVR is running a one-off special ‘Steam into Stories’ service, with best-selling children’s author Sam Sedgman reading from his books on board a heritage steam train. Tickets for this event, which takes place on the morning of Saturday 12 April, are bookable through the Bewdley Festival website