GOLDILOCKS WOULD HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE

You all know the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Goldilocks went for a walk in the forest. Pretty soon, she came upon a house. She knocked and, when no one answered, she walked right in. On the table were three bowls of porridge, the first one was too hot, the second too cold and the third one was just right. Same with the beds, one was too hard, one was too soft and it was the middle one that was perfect.

Boy, she’d have had a job with our competition entries. Yesterday I collected all the entries from Stanmore library, thanks to the capable hands of Jeanette the librarian. And I must say, you’ve done us proud. Well, most of you have.

The age group 7/11 - I’m overwhelmed at the talent you show and will be hard pressed to choose our finalists amid such imaginative and well-written poems. Over 18’s - didn’t realize we had so many poets amongst you. Well done to you all and I’ll be in touch either later this week or early next week to let you know whether you’ll be appearing at Harrow Art Centre on the 21st March.

But here’s where poor Goldilocks would have had her problem. Gallons of cold and hot porridge, furniture stores full of hard and soft beds but where were the middle ones? 12/17 year olds, what’s happened to you? Were you too busy with studying and exams? Listening to music or on your phones? Where were your entries? Yes, we’ve received some but nowhere near the volume of the other groups.

Please restore my faith in this age group. If you know of anyone of this age, give them a nudge and tell them to start writing. Feel free to email me their work and it may well appear in this blog - as will the winning entries.

And by the way, for the record, did you know that Goldilocks and The Three Bears was written by Robert Southey, one of the Lake Poets which included William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. Southey’s work isn’t well known today except for one other poem which was parodied by Lewis Carroll as You are old, Father William.