Tall ships regatta,
fireworks popping, bright and cracking,
bunting, colourful and lively,
blowing in the wind,
people cheering and waving,
stevie the dog has lost his owner,
the owner has lost stevie,
the smacks and the pops of the fireworks,
are scaring poor little stevie,
the tall ships are coming,
with their lights beaming bright,
illuminating the ocean,
they are looking bigger,
and bigger again as they approach,
creating a carnival of colour,
an absolute spectacle.
Sean: Hey, Jenna, I think I just saw Kirsty disappear onto that ship. I thought she agreed to stay?
Jenna: She did agree.
Sean: So why was she getting on that ship?
Jenna: (shouting) SHE WASN’T, STUPID!!!
Sean: Come on! We have to stop her. It was her! Trust me.
Jenna: Fine. I guess those people can go without their paper for one day!
(Jenna and Sean rush down towards the harbour and get on the ship.)
Jenna: Sean! You said she would be here.
Sean: I thought she was here!
Jenna: Well then where is she?!
(The ship jolts forward, knocking Jenna and Sean over. Kirsty also falls over but is hiding behind a barrel.)
Kirsty: (unseen from behind a barrel) OW!
Sean: Hey, Kirsty! Told you Jenna!
(Footsteps are heard coming down the stairs.)
Kirsty: Quick, we have to hide!
(A large, unshaven man walks into the room. He is talking on his mobile phone)
Kirsty: (whispering) Shhh! He hasn’t seen us yet!
Man: Ok. Wait a second. (he hangs up, and takes a beer from the fridge.)
Sean: (whispering) What’s he doing?
Jena: (whispering) I dunno.
(The man blows his nose, looks around the room and then leaves.)
Kirsty: That was close, but let’s stay hidden.
Sean: Yeah, a bit too close for my liking!
Jenna: It wasn’t that bad, we didn’t get caught.
Sean: No, I was talking about you Jenna!
Jenna: What about me!
Sean: You were WAY too close for comfort.
Jenna: Umm …….. No I wasn’t!
Kirsty: SOOO! (obviously trying to change the subject.) How are we supposed to get off this ship? You guys weren’t meant to come too.
Sean: Well what were we supposed to do? Stand on the harbour waving goodbye!?
Jenna: We did consider that.
(Two men walk down the stairs obviously arguing.)
Man 1: She’s not down here, you’re hearing things again.
Man 2: (Kirsty’s dad) But I thought I heard Kirsty’s voice.
Man 1: Mike! You chose to leave them, so you need to get over it.
Man 2: Leaving them was the worst mistake I ever made.
(Kirsty and her friends exchange confused looks. Kirsty gets up from the barrel she was hiding behind.)
Kirsty: Dad?
Brightly coloured, the tall ships slowly
drift into the port of falmouth, adding
to the atmosphere of children laughing,
people cheering, the brass band playing.
As dusk turns to dark the clock strikes 12!
Suddenly a carnival of colour exploding,
into the night sky,transforming and bringing
everything to life. A village celebrating.
The sails of the majestic tall ships
bellow through the light breeze going into the quay.
With lots of people hanging
off the silky big sails. Everyone is cheering!
Alanna, the daughter of the eccentric millionaire Ferrars, stepped onto the deck of the ship Jentje, and looked about her in wonder. She was in Falmouth, at the Tall Ships Regatta. The masts and rigging loomed above and around her, and the water rippled and shivered. Typically, it was raining. The drops spattered the sea, and filled the bilge tanks on board. Two strong men manned the bilge pump on each ship. The rigging was furled in waterproof bags.
But Alanna was there not for the boats, but for the people. Two days previously, she had received an anonymous letter to say that she would not be disappointed if she met the writer there, on Jentje.
Suddenly, a hand clamped itself over her mouth. She tried to scream, but the hand wouldn’t let her. She felt a stunning, glancing blow to the back of her head, and everything went black.
When Alanna woke, she was in darkness. It was hard to tell whether her eyes were open or closed. She tried to rub her eyes, but was caught with a jerk. Her hands were bound together and tied to her waist, and her feet were tied together. She was pinned halfway up a wall. In other words, she was trussed up like a chicken. She wriggled and struggled, but to no avail. As she felt the dark shroud of despair settle over her, she began to weep soundlessly, like a little lost child, wishing for a hand to hold.
For what seemed like forever, she waited in the dark. Suddenly, a door opened. Rough, strong hands tugged her from the wall, and dumped her on a pile of sacks. She saw the hand threading a rope through the tops of a row of full sacks. Suddenly aware of what was to happen, she squirmed and twisted, but it was no use. The man put a heavy blindfold over her eyes, a coarse gag in her mouth, and tied the sacks firmly over her her roped body.
“There now, m’pretty,” rasped the man. “We wouldn’t want you rolling around and getting hurt, would we? There’s a storm a’comin’.”
For an age, Alanna lay there, roped to the boards. She felt the boat pitch and roll with every wave. A sudden shudder ran through the boat. Alanna felt water lapping around her. She called out in alarm, but the gag muffled the noise. She felt the waves cover her mouth and nose. But Alanna felt strangely peaceful. As she felt Death lift her from her body, she breathed out all her faults, impurities and fears, and her last feeling was that of joy.
Tall ships come to Falmouth
I can hear the tourists and locals singing to the samba bands.
I can smell the salt lurking in the salty sea.
I can touch the amazing animals that lurk in the town even though it is buzzing with excitement.
I can see the tall ships sailing into port.
The tall ships come to Falmouth.
The crowd fills the Harbour
As more people enter the street,
Children dance and adults sing
Running to get a rocky seat.
The emerald sea is full
Crammed to the very last pool.
The ships run high tall and strong,
Their bunting blowing when the wind runs cool.
As the houses empty and
The atmosphere runs wild.
Fireworks bang, crackle and whizz
Like an over excited child!
The sails of the ships
Hang low and full of air.
The masts sway and groan
Like an angry dragon’s lair…
Sausages, onions, burgers galore,
Dancers wiggling their well-dressed hips.
But what catches my beady bird’s eye
Are the bright, flag-filled fast tall ships.
Jack could see them now, the billowing sails of the Tall ships. So close
he could almost reach out and touch them. They were almost within
arm’s reach, and suddenly they were gone and Jack was falling into
the inky blackness of the sea, into the depths of Neptune’s Kingdom.
Jack woke from his deep sleep, and remembering his dream, shook
his rag-doll head and with a bounce jumped up onto the window sill
of the playroom. There he looked out and saw the proud and elegant
tall masts of the tall ships that shone bright in the morning sunlight.
The Tall Ships race had almost begun.
Jack was no ordinary little girls rag-doll, although he did belong
to Emily and she loved him, he was a brave and skillful sailor and
he could match his craft against any Tall ship. Jumping down from
the window and dancing a sailors jig across the floor, he imagined
himself to be out in the salty sea air to find himself a boat and crew.
“Oi hoy”, shouted Jack as he climbed into the wooden Golden
Enterprise, with its torn cotton sails and broken mast. “Who will be
my shipmates and take on the tall ships?” he shouted.
His craft was the fastest boat in the rock pools. She was a lovely fast
ship, a bit bumped and chipped around the edges, but sleek and
quick, in fact just the right size for a toy sailor and his motley crew of
Samuel the mouse, Oliver the frog and Bungleton the Gnome. With
his crew assembled, they dragged the Golden Enterprise onto the
window sill where they could see the Tall ships race they were about
to enter. All of these toys had sailed the seven seas and rock pools
with Jack many times before, but the only thing that mattered to
Jack today was the Tall Ships regatta.
“Are you ready lads?” cried Jack. And with that he scuttled across the
planks and took hold of the tiller.
Soon they were skimming and slicing through the waves. Sam on
the Mast spotted a seagull flying low towards them. Quickly they
signaled to him and he landed on the window sill with a solid crash.
“How far to the start line, you fat sea bird?”
“Squark…It’s already begun and by my reckoning you are in the lead.”
he said with a grin. “So you best be quick! Good luck!” He replied and
with that he flew away.
Quickly the crew got her racing, slicing through the waves and
pitching and rolling with every white crashing wave. The small
wooden boat rocked up and down, almost falling off the window
sill, but with great skill Jack brought her back on track and they were
winning again. Oliver the frog ribbeted with excitement because he
had spotted the bright orange buoy which marked the finish line.
Suddenly, as if she was a ghost ship, the Mary Ann tall ship with 16
white sails was quickly upon the little boat and making good speed.
“All hands on deck!” Called Jack as The Golden Enterprise caught the
wind. Usually she was fast but that day she went so fast she was just
a blur of colour to people passing by…
“Only a little further!” yelled Bungleton, as the crew started to row
with lolly pop sticks for extra speed, and with a shout of joy they
crossed the finish line in first place. “Ha ha!” cried Jack “We are
the fastest boat that ever sailed in these waters.” And with that
the playroom door slowly opened. The toys became toys and Sam
scuttled off to his hole in the skirting board, and Emily looked out
at the beautiful Tall ships, and wondered if one day she would ride
these great boats with her friend, Jack.
TALL SHIPS AND THE CHEEKY GULLS
Sally Seagull plays all day
Flying everywhere around the sploshy bay
When Sally pinches chips
She likes to lick her salty lips
She was excited to see the Tall ships.
Stewart Seagull likes to cheat
He has a smiley friend called Pete
He likes to eat chocolate treats
In the sizzling heat
Stewart seagull likes to sleep
On golden hay
He had an exciting birthday
In May!
Sapphire Seagull relaxes all day
As she loves to play
She flies high in the sky
Then she comes back to eat a pie.
It is a chilli delight
Hot and warm giving her height.
Sandie Seagull watched all day
The fishermen busy in the bay
Sandy Seagull snatched a fish
Mmmm, what a tasty dish.
Sammy seagull relaxes all day
When he pinches food he doesn’t pay!
The best thing is to fly above the beautiful bay.
He eats his chips while watching the brilliant tall ships.
Maggie May
Likes to play
A game called Tall Ships everyday
But she wished she could see
The elegant tall ships in the salty sea.
She watches the gulls fly
I wish I could spy
THE SHIPS!
Black and white Cornish cat
Black and white Cornish cat,
Frightened by ferocious fireworks
If only she could lay flat,
By the warm and welcoming range
“I wish the people would scat,
From these busy Cornish streets”
“The residents are all so fat,
They push me off the street”
“Sail away ships, that’s right, sail away”
“Flea hot-dog stands, that’s right, flea
For I am a black and white, Cornish cat.”
The Tall Ships
Magical ships have arrived
Tall ships towering all the small ships
Gliding, sliding
Bang-wizzes
I
Z
Z
L
E
The sky is a colourful rainbow
Glimmering gold-bright blue and pirate pink
A roar of excitement fills the busy air
Trees dancing
Animals clapping
Sails catching the wind
The sea is awake swaying to and fro
Lit by the explosive sky
By Erin