500 Words

Never Say No to Adventure

(A story in 500 words)

‘Ping!’ said the email arriving apologetically. I ignored it for a time, it wasn’t as if it would be anything exciting was it? Only it was!

‘You have been invited to attend BBC Radio 2’s 500 words live final!’

Many years before (2011), Chris Evans the King of Radio 2 Breakfast Show, had announced a story writing competition. Since that day every year, children the length and breadth of the kingdom sent in their tales. Fairy tales, historical tales, comic tales, dystopian tales. There were weepies, there were howlers, there were gaspers and nail biters so many that Radio 2 castle was drowning in a flood of words.

An army of volunteers was raised, people to read every single story, teachers and librarians from all over the kingdom. Each year a handful of these volunteers were rewarded with an invitation to attend the spectacular final, and this year, for the first time ever, I was one of them.

And so it was that on June the 8^th at 4am I travelled from the capital to Hampton Court Palace with three thousand other early risers. Teachers, librarians, parents, children, actors, authors and even a duchess were all in attendance at King Chris’ 500 Words Court at Hampton. Every single soul was there with the same purpose, to celebrate a record breaking 134 thousand story entries and the love of reading and writing that was spreading across the nation.

It was an amazing extravaganza full of live music, laughter and dancing and in the middle the amazing fifty finalists sat excitedly waiting to hear who were to be awarded the bronze, silver and gold medals. They didn’t have to wait long. Celebrities including Jim Broadbent, Jason Isaacs and David Walliams emerged to read the winning stories. We were delighted by evil fatbergs, exasperated deities, friendly robins, and even a poo fairy! The stories made us laugh, cry and gasp. They were all so different but had one thing in common, they were all unashamedly inspired, despite the limitations of having to be told in just 500 words. If you’d like to hear them yourselves, then you still can do here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1X807bd666plfvBBbR6hDmd/500-words-2018-final-as-it-happened

I have so many brilliant memories of the day and the photos to go with them, but for me the best part was opportunities to speak to so many other teachers and librarians from all over the country. I came away brimming with new ideas and enthusiasm and can’t wait to get judging again next year. I also can’t wait to help support our budding writers tell their stories to the best of their ability, so next January I will be running a weekly creative writing group to help students get their 500 words story in tip top condition.

The Patron of 500 words, HRH the Duchess of Cornwall, shared some very the wise words from Grandpa Potts, a character from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, ‘Never say no to adventure.” I hope you’ll be coming with me on my next one.

(and if you care to check, the above account is told in exactly 500 words too).

Mrs. Kirk

Learning Resource Manager