Sonia Leong©
Leading neatly on from yesterday’s blog about school lunches, I thought about Rotherham. Rotherham is in South Yorkshire, home to ex- England keeper David Seamen and pride of England World Cup ref Howard Webb. It’s also the town where Jamie Oliver famously tried to convert the town’s school dinners into something healthy and edible, much to the disgust of some of the mums who were filmed posting their poor mites burgers through the school fence. Quite right too. Don’t come ‘ere with your fancy soft southern ways, pal….
But apart from that one of the best things to come out of Rotherham in recent times was an anthology of creative writing by Rotherham children. I was sent a copy by a friend, Karen Borthwick, who works for the Borough Council and this is my tardy way of saying thank you, seeing as I lost her email address.
The anthology, Where We Stood, is brilliant. I’m not just saying that; every piece of prose and every poem resonates. Here’s one on reading by Claire Mills aged 10 of Maltby Manor School.
We Didn’t Do Much Reading Today
No I didn’t do much reading today,
Only the odd labels on shampoos liquid soap.
I didn’t do much reading today,
I only read the crackling, nutritious label on the Rice Krispies
I didn’t do much reading today,
Only the odd bits like teletext to see what was on TV.
I didn’t do much reading today,
Only the milk label and a bit of the newspaper
and a book to my little brother.
I didn’t do much reading on my way to school this morning,
Only the numbers on peoples houses
And the label on my sports trousers.
I didn’t do much reading today,
Only the odd signs for cars
and to let me know when to walk and not to walk.
I didn’t do much reading today,
Only the number line on the wall
and the calendar to see what date it was.
I didn’t do much reading today,
So I’m looking forward to going home and curling up
with my book so I can start READING!
© Claire Mills from ‘Bookmarks 2000′ sponsored and funded by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Yorkshire Forward. See Gloucester Council. Rotherham folks’ sandwich boxes might make you grimace but so what? Rotherham Council has better things to do, like encouraging their kids to write poems and stories. I know to who I’d rather pay my council tax …