A VILLAGE postmistress is celebrating poetic success.
Ann Marsden, from Skelton, east Cleveland, won United Press's UK Poetry champion competition with her entry, Take This Aching Heart.
The competition produces a national poetry anthology and the winners of each year's competition choose the next winner. This time it was Mrs Marsden, who beat 150 other regional winners for top spot.
Mrs Marsden, 42, who is postmistress at Skelton High Green as well as a staff nurse on the coronary care unit at South Cleveland Hospital, said: "I'm overwhelmed that so many prizewinning poets voted for me.
"I've been writing poetry for ten years, but entering the national poetry anthology has given me my greatest thrill as a writer."
It is the first time Mrs Marsden has had her poetry published after she was encouraged to enter the competition by some friends.
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