Young snapper's share their winning views of Thatcham

Youngsters focus their efforts for competition as part of town festival

YOUNG people in Thatcham displayed what the town means to them.

Youngsters aged under 17 submitted their snaps for Thatcham Photographic Club’s Thatcham – My Town competition.

The theme aimed to ‘encourage a sense of belonging to a vibrant community’, with entries reflecting how people felt about living in Thatcham.

The winners were announced at the Old Bluecoat School on Sunday.

Winner of the 11-13 category was Isabella Giddins with her picture of the town motif on a Broadway bench.

Isabella is deaf and attends Mary Hare School. The family moved from Kent around two years ago so that Isabella could go to the school.

When asked what she thought about Thatcham and why she entered the competition Isabella said: “Thatcham makes me feel like I belong. I just think it’s nice and feels like my real home.”

Her mother Sue said she was really pleased with her daughter’s achievement.

Mrs Giddins said that it was very hard for deaf people to compete and the photography competition allowed Isabella to enter on a level playing field.

With a picture of Thatcham’s Memorial Hall and clock tower, Rebecca Austin won the under-11 contest.

She said she entered her shot, taken on an iPhone 4S, because it was something that she associated with the town and best represented it to her.

The Whitelands Park pupil said she was really happy to win the category, and added that she entered the competition after her teacher told her class about it.

Her mother Netty Austin said she was “dead proud” of her daughter and that it was nice that the efforts of children in the town were being recognised.

Kennet School pupil Robert Marriot was named as the winner of the 14-17 category for his night shot of The Mill’s public house sign.

The 14-year-old, who is studying photography as a GCSE, said that he liked the lighting in the scene.

Chairman of Thatcham Photographic Club, Paul Roberts, said: “There was a good response to the competition and two thirds of local schools were involved.

“The quality of entries was good and it was nice to see entries from very young photographers, some as young as five years old.”

Mr Roberts said that winners were selected on how well they met the stated theme of the competition and also on the composition of their images.