Tufnell Park pupil wins Govia Thameslink poetry competition

George Halkyard, from Tufnell Park, wrote the poem when he was 10, after a teacher at Yerbury Primary School suggested he enter the Govia Thameslink contest.

Brilliant Brighton, which describes the excitement of a trip to the seaside by rail, was among the 10 winners of a national competition selected by Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho.

It is now on display across the Govia Thameslink Railway network on posters and screens.

George's poem is now displayed across the Govia Thameslink Railway network and he won train tickets to take his family on a weekend trip to Cambridge (Image: Peter Alvey)

George, who starts secondary school at Acland Burghley this week, said: "My teacher suggested I enter because I like writing about trains and I like to make words match, and I won it!

"When I heard, I was shocked and excited and really proud of myself.

"Seeing my poem on a poster was also kind of crazy."

George's passion for trains began with the Tube and grew from there. He's visited both the London Underground Museum in Covent Garden, and the depot in Acton, and is a keen rail traveller - regularly visiting his grandparents in Bedford.

"I go on trains a lot and I love to go to Brighton," he added.

"It has most of my favourite trains, and the upside down house, and the ice cream and fish and chips are really good."

As well as seeing his poem in public, George won tickets to go anywhere on the network and has just whisked his family off for a weekend in Cambridge.

Mum Sian said: "I was super proud of him. English is one of those subjects that not all kids love all the time and it was great to find a competition that gave him an opportunity to write about something he is passionate about.

"Winning has really encouraged him. The poem is up all over the Thameslink route and it's been amazing. We were playing a game while we were away to see if we could spot it at different stations."

George, Lucy and Teddy were among the 10 winners of the national competition run by Govia Thameslink Railway (Image: Peter Alvey)

Joseph Coelho said he was delighted to read the entries from children aged five to 13 about their favourite train trips.

"I was blown away by the immense creativity from the young people. It's been such a joy to see these young writers inspired by the various destinations on the Network.

"They have written about the 'clickety-clack' of the tracks and the views from the train windows and have brought to life trips ranging from Brighton to London, from Cambridge to St Neots.

"May these young poets' writing adventures continue to awe and inspire."

After his moment of fame, George says he's excited about starting secondary school. As well as being good at English he says: "I enjoy maths, computing and science but not RE."

Brilliant Brighton:

"Brilliant Brighton The shiny Thameslink service, is approaching Platform 1. Humming with excitement, it’s my ticket to lots of fun. We’re heading down to Brighton, I’m off to see the sea. We’re going to have an ice cream, and that fills me with glee! The two piers tell a story, one burnt down long ago. The new one is full of exciting things, like a funfair and a show. We’re going to amble through The Lanes, and look at sparkly things. Then we’ll stop for fish and chips, as the seagulls spread their wings. The giant floating doughnut, will give us brilliant views. We’ll pose in the upside-down house, and we won’t have to queue! Then I’ll hop back on the Thameslink train, so happy with my day. I’ll hear the whirring noises as the Class 700 whisks me away."