A STUDENT inspired by landmarks around the town hopes to become the poet laureate of Croydon.
Sinead Buckingham, an 18-year-old former pupil of Coloma Convent Girls' School in Shirley, said some of her fondest memories involve Croydon – a place she feels gets a bad press and no representation in literature.
"I went to school here and all my friends are from Croydon so really all the best things I can remember happened here – whether it was picnics in the summer in Queen's Gardens or going out to the Green Dragon," she said.
"We did some creative writing at university and were asked to pick a sentimental place. I wanted to choose Croydon because of that and also, when I googled it, I couldn't find anyone who had written about it. So I wanted to be the first."
Sinead, who lives in Bromley and studies English at Exeter University, has written three poems featuring different parts of Croydon.
The first is from the view point of a young person enjoying what the town has to offer while also watching the adult world around them.
"The 'rainbow acrylics' symbolise the graffiti around Croydon and the 'monochrome stage' is all the office blocks and people in black in white for work," explained Sinead.
"Then there are the memories of hanging out in Queen's Gardens and those summer evenings when everyone is happy and spilling out of pubs, all the hustle and bustle."
The second poem is from an older person's perspective. The subject walks through Croydon and notices the changes around them.
Sinead said: "This one is about being older and seeing younger people around you like the 'hooded teenagers' and the 'words he does not know'".
"I wrote the third poem from the perspective of a young schoolgirl with a troubled family life who escapes from East Croydon station.
"That's important because it shows the possibility of movement and potential in Croydon, even if everything is not good."
Croydon Council is currently encouraging aspiring young poets to apply for the Young Poet Laureate for London by submitting their work via email at spoke@spreadtheword.org.uk or visiting www.spreadtheword.org.uk.
The winner will be announced on National Poetry Day, which is October 3.
