As in past years there was an enthusiastic response from the Island's school aged students to Christmas Story competition this year. A whopping 103 students entered and 51 adults.

Judges of the contest said that deciding on winners was a particularly difficult task this year as many of the entries were deserving of awards.

They agreed after much deliberation however on the following winners in the children's category:

Ten-year-old Idrees Sharieff of Somersfield Academy ran away with first prize $400 for .In his short but action filled little story Idrees brought to life the characters ? a group of friends who manage to save Christmas for the country after a bah-humbug attempted to ruin it for all.

Runner up Molly Watts Johnson received $250 for her story where four girlfriends find their way to the North Pole and Santa to inform him of a glitch where there is no one on the Nice list because of an evil elf.

The $100 prize for exceptional promise went to 14-year-old Chelsea Mayeaux of Bermuda High School for Girls, for her creative story Chelsea revived the old Leamington caves as the manufacturing arm of Santa's outfit with gombeys as the hard workers and Cahows pulling Santa's sleigh.

Honourable mentions were awarded to: 11-year-old Jaciano Furbert-Wade of Somersfield Academy for his little tale One of the adventures of a mischievous little skink, Zakiah who has a wife two kids and a pet fly.

Wyatt French for in which Santa has to scout around Bermuda for replacement reindeer, as his have been stricken with allergies.

Nicholas Park for his well written well researched story on the Christmas of Arnold Tucker in 1961 and Shannah Brown of Bermuda Institute for her well told tale

The winner in the adult section was Lynn Furtado for This entertaining story features the much unloved Bermuda roaches who explain why they have no interest in Christmas, but learn that they were close at hand on the Holy Night.

The second runner up was Betty Azzario-Thompson for her heartwarming story Ms Thompson took the topical housing problem and created a feel good story for the season.

The prize for exceptional promise in this category went to Paulette Whitman-Dixon for her story done completely in rhyme. The story is set in the WindReach Recreational facility and features many of the animals there. It also features an elderly lady Bernice who gets a wheelchair she sorely needed. The story in based on true events and Ms Whitman Dixon just recently told us that the real Bernice actually is still without the wheelchair she needs.

Honourable mention went to Sarina Bean for her story about a hurricane which wanted to visit Bermuda for Christmas but didn't realise this was upsetting to Bermudians. The big storm was coaxed into passing as a gentle breeze after a little girl explained how unhappy was.

The winning stories will appear in a the December 24 edition of .