Manny's the prize-winning poetry prince

A RUSSIAN prince no less is the winner of the West Sussex Gazette's Sussex Day poetry competition.

Manny Galitzine '“ or more formally Prince Emanuel Galitzine '“ submitted the poem that was deemed the best by competition judges West Sussex county archivist Richard Childs and West Sussex Gazette entertainments editor Phil Hewitt.

Reproduced below, it won him 100-worth of books from Chichester-based local history publisher Phillimore.

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By day a salesman in the pharmaceutical industry, Manny admits he doesn't really use his title, which dates back to before the Revolution.

A former student at Lancing College, Manny, who lives in Herstmonceux, recalls winning a prize from the headmaster for his verse. "But I very rarely burst into poetry!" he said.

The last time was when his daughter '“ now 24 '“ was a child. But when he heard of the WSG competition, which was run in conjunction with the West Sussex Record Office, Manny was tempted to return to rhyme. "It just rolled off the keyboard!"

Manny said he was delighted to win and might now consider writing more poetry. "I did enjoy writing it. It has a little singsong about it. But I am gobsmacked!"

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The beauty of Sussex was the inspiration for the competition, aimed at helping cement Sussex Day on the West Sussex calendar.

The Gazette joined forces with the West Sussex Record Office to invite readers to capture in either prose or poetry just what it was that made Sussex special.

Manny's approach was to bring into his piece as many Sussex places as he could, he said.

The first Sussex Day was held in June last year, and the hope is that it will gather momentum as an important date on the calendar.

SUSSEX MEDLEY

By Manny Galitzine

Chalky cliffs and soaring downs,

Sleepy villages, bustling towns,

Champion cricket and world-class bowls,

Home to more than a million souls,

Seaside rock or Gatwick flights,

Happy days and fun-filled nights,

Morris dancers and Battle of Hastings,

Zoos, aquariums and prize wine tastings,

Battle of Britain, Spitfires wheeling,

Brighton Pavilion's painted ceiling,

Chichester Cathedral's needle spire,

November the fifth and Lewes bonfire,

Castles, windmills, Long Man and piers,

Pubs with ghosts and rivers with weirs,

Twittens and narrow country lanes,

Nineteen eighties hurricanes,

All for the taking '“ there's no fee

To visit Sussex by the sea!