Preston poet Sarah Chadwick has teamed up with a housebuilder to highlight the north of England through verse.

Barratt Homes commissioned Sarah to write a poem titled Up North. It praises the established community surrounding their development on Lightfoot Lane, Romans Green.

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The firm commissioned the poet after watching a spoken-word piece Sarah had written titled Proud Preston, which went viral on social media. Inspiration for the poem came after rewatching a video of ‘This is the Place’ by Tony Walsh in memory of the 22 people who lost their lives in the Manchester Arena bombing.

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Sarah said: “I was born and bred in Preston and am extremely proud of my northern roots. It was a pleasure and a privilege to write about our history, culture and sense of community.”

After finishing school, Sarah moved to the East Midlands to attend Loughborough University. She has recently completed an MSc in Sports and Exercise Psychology and is excited to head back to her hometown.

She said: “I hope that my words captured the essence of what it means to be northern and resonate with people from Preston and beyond.”

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An extract from ‘Up North’ reads:

The pride that we feel is second to none
Our strong sense of honour is founded upon
A certain solidarity we can’t quite explain
Because everywhere else is just not the same

Famed for our culture, craft, and cuisine
Where our grit and our graft help us succeed
While our music inspires the rock to our roll
Sparking the sound of our own Northern Soul

Known for our loyalty, laughter, and love
Derived from our historical family above, of
Ship-building, coal-mining, wool-weaving heroes
Whose spirit remains in our blood and our bones.

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Philippa Stewart, Sales Director at Barratt Homes North West, said: “We were extremely excited to work with Sarah on this project, and we hope her poem will be enjoyed by many.

“As a leading housebuilder, we want to do as much as we can to support the community in which we build, and that includes showcasing its best qualities. We will proudly be displaying Sarah’s latest poem in the show homes now open at Romans Green.”

To watch Sarah perform a poem, see the clip below from when we featured her poem on Blog Preston.

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What do you think of Sarah’s poems? Let us know in the comments below