Jack helps pick winning shop (From Free Press Series)

Jack helps pick winning shop

WINNERS of the Free Press best Christmas shop display competition received their prizes at the Civic Centre, Pontypool, last Wednesday.

There were two categories this year - best in town and best in the market. Each winner received a luxury hamper with a bottle of champagne for the runners up.

Winners were Zenith and M & M Fabrics.

Runners up were Complete Mortgage Solutions and Ian Hitchings butchers.

Part of the selection team which chose the Christmas window winners was 11-year-old Jack Cottrell. He won an essay-writing competition at his school George Street Juniors, for the honour of being mayor for the day. Here's his report of his term of office.

'On Monday, December 6, the mayor's car picked up me and my friends Shane Davies and Geraint Welsh from school. In reception the mayor's assistant put the chains of office on me for the day. We were taken to the Mayor's parlour in the Civic Centre where we were given something to eat and drink, before being given a tour of the Civic Centre. We saw the CCTV operations room, the chamber and a painting of the man who designed and paid for the Civic Centre for the citizens of Pontypool.

We judged the Christmas trees in the offices and chose the winner, we were allowed to eat some of the chocolate decorations off the winning tree!

In reception we met the mayor of Torfaen and some other officials before walking through Pontypool town centre and helping to judge the shop window decorations. All the decorations were really good and it was very difficult to choose a winner.

We were then driven to County Hall with the mayor for lunch, before going back to the civic centre to say our good-byes. When we were brought back to school the chains of office were removed and my day as mayor was over. I really enjoyed it.

I would like to say thank you to everyone at the Civic Centre for giving me the great opportunity to meet the Mayor and everyone there and to see how they are responsible for the area.'

By Jack Cottrell (11)