VIDEO: High-flying student poets win helicopter ride
They won a VE Day themed poetry competition - then took to the skies in a helicopter to celebrate their victory.
Six students from Norton Canes High School in Cannock wrote their own verse onto ceramic tiles to mark the 70th anniversary of the Allies victory at the end of World War Two.
As well as gift vouchers, students Ella-Jay Anslow, Steven Schnabel, Aime Drury, Millie Edwards, Francesca Russell and Alex Sutton were given a flight in a helicopter by Staffordshire businessman James Leavesley.
He took them over Walsall Arboretum, across Cannock Chase and Rugeley and then back across Hednesford.
Sam Dewally, learning resource centre manager at Norton Canes High School, said: "It was absolutely fantastic.
"We had all the students and staff out to see it arrive, and parents of the students who won were invited. We went up twice, three students at a time.
"We were in the air for about 15 minutes, but we covered a lot of land. It was the most glorious day. We didn't realize there was so much water around us. "
Mr Leavesley said: "The students have not only intricately interwoven fragments of words into their work but took the time to visit Norton Primary Academy to explain what they were doing and how they had linked in to the archaeological discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard, which made it much more topical."
The competition was tied into Norton Cane's entry in Best Kept Village, which rewards villages for being tidy and well maintained.
The mosaics, fired in the school's own kiln, were part of a community art project to get children involved in the look of the village.
Mrs Dewally said: "We were told that we were going to wear headphones and that we mustn't scream or shout because the pilot would be deafened, but we were just sat in silence because we were so overcome.
"Every once in a while someone would point out their house or their local Tesco, but it was really calm, which I didn't expect.
"It was such a fitting end to a long year of work."
