(Thursday, 2nd March 2006)

50 year 8 pupils from Walshaw Girls School and Barden Boys in Burnley, and their teachers, enjoyed a writing day organised by ACWE and English Consultants at Lancashire LEA. at Burnley Football Club.  In September these two schools are to merge to form the new ‘Sir John Thursby School’ and the day was planned to help pupils get to know each other and reflect on memories and new beginnings. 

During the day pupils got to know local Burnley poet Claire Shaw (the second biggest baby ever to be born in Burnley!), Hebden Bridge-based poet, John Siddique and Manchester novelist, Melvin Burgess.  The three writers led creative writing workshops with the young writers throughout the day.  Some wonderful poems and story outlines were produced and we hope that many of them will be submitted to the ‘All Write! 2006’ competition Walshaw and Barden teachers.  The day finished with readings from the three writers and pupils were given copies of ‘All Write! 2005’ (the anthology of work produced by young writers from across the North West in the 2005) writing competition as a memento of the day. A good time was had by all.