TWO Trowbridge school pupils, who wrote about their dream adventures as part of a national competition, have won the chance to welcome back Wiltshire explorer David Hempleman-Adams from his latest expedition.

Caitlin and Ethan, both nine, from The Grove Primary submitted their 500-word entries as part of The Wicked Weather Watch’s summer competition which was launched by the Polar Ocean Challenge team.

After fighting off stiff competition from pupils around the country, the Trowbridge Year 5 children won with their literary creations and as their prize, were given the chance to welcome the crew, including Mr Hempleman-Adams back from their North Pole trip in Bristol yesterday (October 20).

Caitlin said she was extremely excited to meet the crew who have been able to see places she could only dream of.

She added: “I wrote about a place called Layput which was based on Gulliver's Travels because that is the book I have been doing in English. I’ve always liked writing stories.”

Ethan decided to write about a trip to Australia – a country he would love to explore.

“Australia is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go on holiday,” he said. “In the piece I entered, I wrote about why I wanted to go and I said I would take my dad and brother because they love holidays and I don’t think my mum or sister would like it because they hate snakes. It seems like it would be the best holiday ever because of all the animals.”

The Northabout trip circumnavigated the North Pole anticlockwise and by doing so, this we will be demonstrating that the Arctic sea ice coverage shrinks back so far now in the summer months that sea that was permanently locked up now can allow passage through.

Laura Haines, geography subject leader said she was extremely pleased by Caitlin and Ethan’s efforts.

She added: “The competition organisers said our two pupils had done such a great job that they couldn’t pick just one winner so they decided to bend the rules and allow two instead.”

They welcomed the team back at the SS Great Britain in Bristol.