Pupils seek fame in Google bid
The idyllic Shropshire countryside has captured the imagination of poets, artists and novelists. Now the buzzing of insects, apples in the orchard and rushing rivers have provided the inspiration for a very modern phenomenon.
Sixteen-year-old Tom Sherborn-Hoare's doodle, pictured, based on the countryside around Shropshire and Herefordshire could win him a trip to California.
The teenager's image based on his beloved River Lugg, which is near to his home, has been selected as the West Midlands winner in the Doodle 4 Google competition launched by the popular website.
Tom, a former pupil at Bedstone College in Bucknell, was encouraged by his teacher Jason Smith. He completed his studies there this summer and is now a pupil at Hereford Sixth Form College.
Tom is hoping to go all the way and be crowned the overall Doodle 4 Google winner, which would mean a trip to the company's headquarters in California, where he will meet the company's art boss.
Tom said: "I'm so excited to be in the top 30 of the Doodle 4 Google competition and I'm determined to get all my friends and family to vote for my doodle to win. I think it would be an amazing privilege to see my Doodle on the Google home page and work alongside Google's chief doodler Dennis Hwang, in California."
He is the second youngster from Shropshire and Mid Wales in the later stages of the competition. Powys 10-year-old Rosie Penny, of Howey, near Llandrindod Wells, made it to the top ten in her age group in Wales. But she missed making the final.
A Google spokesman said: "In a nutshell, Google ran a nationwide art competition for kids up and down the country to design their own doodle for the Google homepage.
"Around 15,000 kids entered and there are 30 regional finalists, one of whom is Tom."
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