Nicky has again worked with The Mid Cheshire Line to create a new art competition - The MY CHESHIRE Poster Awards 2020.

The awards were created as a home-schooling activity to help parents and teachers during the coronavirus epidemic. The awards were split into two age categories: 4-7 and 8-11 and a special teacher resource that gave some historical context to the art of the British travel poster was produced to support the initiative.

Our young artists responded with vigour and we had over 90 delightful entries of pure optimism. Never has our county looked so fine!

Each of our six winners will receive a professional coloured pencil set and see their work adorn every station along the Mid Cheshire Line, indeed, the Mid Cheshire Line were so delighted with the response that they instructed Nicky to produce a special A2 montage poster containing EVERY artwork. We will be making this available to everyone who entered, to receive one simply email your name and postal address to paintings@midcheshirerail.org.uk

The awards were judged by Nicky, John Hulme (Member of the Mid Cheshire Partnership and President of Cheshire Best Kept Stations) and Katrina Michel (Director CH1 Chester BID).

The competition was sponsored by Marketing Cheshire.

John said: “With over 90 entries, this has been one of my most difficult competitions to judge. The Competition has been a winner for all in these unprecedented times.”

Katrina said: "It was lovely to see the images that mean something to these young people - a speeding train over a viaduct, a straining race horse, a magnificent lion, cathedrals and castles and of course a day out with mum as well as more abstract renditions that allow us to see Cheshire a bit differently through young eyes. What a brilliant array of images and what talent for the future.”

So…without further ado…here are our fabulous winners…

8-11 AGE GROUP

1st - Grace Nicholson (11)…Lion (Chester Zoo)

2nd - Fran Robinson (10)…(Peckforton Castle)

3rd - Kaitlin Marshall (10)…(Brio Leisure)

4-7 AGE GROUP

1st - Iris Morley (5)…Butterflies (Chester Zoo)

2nd - Gustav Pastore (6)…Train (Chester Racecourse)

3rd - Olivia Tickell (7)…The Gruffallo (Delamere Forest)

The winners will collect their prizes at a special awards presentation when the current situation returns to normal.