South Shields youngsters and older folk share stories between generations

Youngsters and older folk in South Shields have been sharing stories.

Homeowners at Seymour Court, a retirement living development in the town's Ambleside Avenue, recently enjoyed reading stories written by pupils of Ashley Primary School as part of a short story competition.

The winner was Gabriella Porteous of Year 3 for her story The Toucan.

The runners-up were Leo Bicker of Year 3 for his story The Hero, and Devon Steehouder of Year 5 for her story Who Snatched Patch. They each received a National Book Token to help encourage them enjoy reading even more.

Gabriella said: “I hope that the residents enjoyed reading our stories as much as we did writing them."

Pat Rigg, who lives independently at Seymour Court, helped judge the entries. As part of with her daily exercise, she sat overlooking the piers at the mouth of the Tyne in South Shields, reading the stories.

Pat said: “It was a pleasure to read the children’s stories – they were interesting, inventive and imaginative. I think everyone who entered is a winner and all the children, from Year 3 to Year 6, should be proud of themselves.

"I hope they all keep writing and, one day, who knows? The winning stories could easily be made into wonderful children’s books.”

Declan Fishwick, of McCarthy Stone, which runs Seymour Court, said: “It’s great for our homeowners because like many of us they are unable to see their families at the moment - and for those that have grandchildren they’re really missing them.

"So these intergenerational connections are a great source of enjoyment and a great way to strengthen our community links. It makes for a different kind of day for them getting involved in something like this.”

Seymour Court features 49 one and two-bedroom apartments, exclusively available for the over 60s. For more information on Retirement Living in South Shields, please call 0800 201 4811 or go to www.mccarthyandstone.co.uk

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