Four budding writers and poets are to have their work recorded on tape by the Wickford and District Talking Newspaper after winning this year's Basildon College Creative Writing Competition.

The competition, open to students of all ages, is jointly sponsored by the College and the Billericay and Wickford Gazette.

Now in its sixth year, the contest attracted a high standard of entries into three separate categories - poem, short story and journalism.

Bruce Bellringer, chairman of the Talking Newspaper, said: ''Every year, the competition has produced a superb collection of stories, articles and poems. This year was no exception, and it was a real pleasure to read such well written entries.

''Since we started this competition the support from the college, the Gazette and the students has been unwavering. The time and effort that goes into the work is tremendous.''

Keith Potter, Editor of the Billericay and Wickford Gazette, added: ''This is an incredibly difficult competition to judge, because the overall standard is so high, and many entries deserved to win.

The winner of this year's poetry section was Aileen Jasper, with her poem entitled The Refectory, while In The Beginning, an article by Philip Rix, took first prize in the journalism section.

The short story category provided the closest competition, with Flowers of Love by Susie Nijland collecting the top prize, and a special highly commended award going to Sheryl Marshall's story, The Bench. Susie Nijland also won the overall prize for Flowers of Love.

Extract from Flowers of Love by Susie Nijland

Ellie wondered how it was possible to love someone so much, and yet be denied the warmth of their caress, whispered words of love, tender moments shared and never forgotten. Ellie allowed herself to reminisce, knowing that her life had once been blessed with such things. She remembered the warm glow that had spread through her body like a blanket of security, every time they had touched. No more would she know those cherished moments of tenderness. She knew that life was seldom fair.

The Refectory by Aileen Jasper

We have the tea sippers, the bored dossers.

The late homeworkers, the biscuit dunkers.

The food scoffers, the card players.

The big groupers, the lonely hearts.

The attitudes, the packed lunchers.

The drooling couples, the grungers.

The trendies, I am an in betweenie.

The smells, the giggling girlies.

The macho men, the gossipers.

The teenie boppers, the hairdressers.

The pop tarts, the nibblers.

The stress heads, the chocoholics.

And last,

but not least,

the canteen ladies.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.