Michael Kerr, travel editor at the Telegraph: ‘Most people who have grown up in Britain have had at least one day out at the seaside that was much like Mr Lakin’s – but not many of them would have been able to write about it as well as he has done.’
Travel writer Tim Moore: ‘Conjuring an inspirational adventure in unpromising conditions is a core parenting skill, or so I belatedly gather. This cheerful and winningly atmospheric account of a bracingly traditional day-out also serves as a poignant reminder of the engagement and enthusiasm of young children as travelling companions, before – as referenced by other entries – the Facebook shutters come down.’
James Hopkirk, editor of IdeasTap: ‘I loved your short story. I loved your evocation of the boredom, of the mess and smell in the car, of the relationship between the cops – and I loved the humour. It’s a lovely piece of writing, a real pleasure to read, and spot on for the theme.’
Jolyon Attwool, travel writer at the Telegraph: ‘You’ve done it again – congratulations on another successful entry.’
Alasdair Brown, Writers’ Worldwide Prize: ‘I can’t praise this highly enough. A finely honed work of singular skill. It has such a charmingly light touch and so full of subtleties of meaning. So assured in creating enigma. The point is that this writer has the confidence to produce clues without solving them. He provides an absorbing narrative which is open ended enough to accommodate the reader’s own. Superb.’
Julie McDowall, editor Puffin Review: ‘The editor’s personal favourite short story from Issue 5. Give Them What They Want by Richard Lakin.’
Jackie Baizeley, Lye Book Group: ‘There wasn’t one of us who did not like his short story, probably because it had elements that appealed to everyone because we had all had an input of ideas. He managed to capture the essence of the Black Country in a very eloquent manner.’
Erewash writers’ group: ‘Believable characters, well-observed.’
World First travel competition: ‘But there could only be one winner. And that was Richard Lakin from Stafford, whose tale had our judges rooting for him and his pool-based escapades.’
Richard Lakin's Blog 