Adlestrop’ is one of Britain’s best-loved poems conjuring up a picture of an idyllic countryside glimpsed before the horrors of the First World War and the poet’s own death in 1917 at Arras.
A hundred years ago, on Midsummer’s Day, the 24th of June 1914, Edward Thomas made his memorable journey from London to Ledbury on a steam train which happened to stop at Adlestrop Station. His recollections of that hot summer afternoon were later distilled into the poem ‘Adlestrop.’ To celebrate the poem, the village of Adlestrop in association with Cotswold Life is marking the centenary of the train journey with this poetry competition.
The entrance fees for entering the competition are to raise funds for the historic parish church of Adlestrop, St Mary Magdalene, which faces a £40,000 shortfall after a recent fabric review.
The entrants to the competition are asked to write a poem of sixteen lines which has been inspired by the original Edward Thomas poem. The judge will be the poet P.J. Kavanagh. The winner will receive a cheque of £400 and their poem will be published on this website and also in Cotswold Life.
• The Adlestrop Poetry Competition is open to anyone, including non-UK applicants
• Entries must be in English.
• The closing date of the competition is 30 April 2014.
More information at: http://adlestroppoem.wordpress.com/
