A Moretonhampstead girl has wowed the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, and beaten off stiff competition from 2,500 other youngsters to take second place in a prestigious national poetry competition. Sarah Stewart-Watson, 11, submitted her poem, The Cliff, to the John Betjeman Young People's Poetry Competition earlier this year while in her last term at Moretonhampstead Primary School. l From page 1 It was inspired by a family holiday to Trevose Head, Cornwall, where the young poet sat enthralled by the wildlife and dramatic scenery. Now a student at South Dartmoor Community College, Ashburton, Sarah travelled to Bristol on Saturday (Sep 2) to attend a star-studded awards ceremony. There she rubbed shoulders with the likes of Sir Trevor Macdonald and received her award from the judge, Mr Motion, and John Betjeman's daughter, author, Candida Lycett Green. In addition to a cup and book of the late Sir John Betjeman's poetry, Sarah won £250 - and the admiration of her parents. 'Of course I'm absolutely delighted, Sarah can write very well when she put her mind to it,' said her father, Ian. Mr Watson praised the staff at his daughter's former school, where the lauded poem started life as a homework project, and described form tutor, newly-qualified Ben Powell, as 'outstanding'. Mr Powell played down his role saying that Sarah's winning poem was 'completely her own'. Sarah, who has had another poem published within the pages of a children's anthology and who won her school's creative writing award for her high standard of literacy, was very modest when asked why her poem had been received saying simply: 'I don't know.' Not yet familiar with the works of Betjeman she said she was looking forward to reading her new book and would consider how best to enjoy her £250 winnings. Sarah's poem begins quite dramatically:

The Cliff Where the pink thrift Bursts out from the bristly grass, Where the jagged rocks cut the smooth surface of the sea As it stretches out to the darkened islands, With the sun dipping behind, its orange rays exploding around them; In the light of the setting sun a cove is uncovered