Spirit of season reflected in cards

TWELVE young artists enjoyed tea with the Lord Mayor after winning a Christmas card competition which saw the town hall flooded with more than 750 entries.

First, second and third prize-winners and their parents enjoyed drinks and a buffet with Councillor Jean Bowers at Stoke-on-Trent Town Hall, following the competition to design the authority's official Christmas cards.

Four winning entries were picked, one from each of the age groups, by Councillor Ross Irving, leader of the authority, Dan Barton, head of PR and communications, and Maxine Lyons, personal assistant to the chief executive.

Selina Tezgel, aged four, from Hartshill, won the category for children up to the age of four, with her design featuring a cheery snowman and colourful snowflakes.

Her card will be available for all council departments to use.

Mum Julie Tezgel, aged 45, said: "It was lovely really that she won.

"She enjoyed doing it and I was shocked how good it was, although she's always been very arty."

"This is a good thing; it just gives children a little more encouragement to do things."

Selina, a pupil at Willows Primary School, in Penkhull, won a laptop, toy telephone, a puppy hand puppet and a £20 book token. She was presented with her prizes alongside other winners at the Hanley Christmas lights switch-on last Thursday.

Ciara Ellis, aged five, from Trentham, won the five to seven-year-old category after impressing judges with her felt-tip and colour pencil drawing of Father Christmas and Rudolph.

Her design will be used exclusively by Cllr Irving.

Ciara was presented with a children's camera, a jewellery-maker and a frog glove puppet

Ciara, a pupil at St Teresa's Primary School, Trent Vale, said: "It feels very, very good that I've won.

"I like my camera because you can also play games on it and it's got my favourite one, matching pairs."

Nicolette Moyo, aged 13, a pupil at Haywood Engineering College, Burslem, won the 12 to 16-year-old category after drawing a beautifully shaded Santa emerging from a chimney with a sack bulging with presents.

She said: "I was really happy when I found out I'd won.

"I got given a necklace and a pink rhinestone pen and calculator set."

Nicolette's card will also be available for all council departments to use.

The Lord Mayor, Cllr Bowers, said: "I think it's a very good idea to involve children at every stage and show the special place that Christmas has in our calendar.

"All the designs were phenomenal and it was good to bring the winners down here to show them what's going on, and make them feel special."

Matthew Bould, aged 11, also a pupil at Haywood Engineering College, Burslem, was unable to attend the event but won his category, for eight to 11-year-olds. His drawing of a snowman under a starry sky will be used by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress.