The Archives Centre is delighted to announce the winners of its diary competition capturing life in lockdown.

Open to 11-16 year olds, the Centre received 70 entries from around the country and about 50 of those are being added to the archive as a record of young people’s experiences during Covid-19. The letters and diaries will be anonymised and closed for 10 years. After careful consideration, the chosen winners were 16 year old Lizzie and 14 year old Serena.

Read Lizzie’s Diary Entry

Read Serena’s Diary Entry

Archives Centre Director and competition judge Allen Packwood said: “It was fascinating to read the range of entries: some made me laugh, others made me cry. The standard was incredibly high and I think we have captured a valuable snapshot of life in lockdown and how young people coped and adapted. My thanks to all who entered.”

The winners will each be receiving £50 in gift vouchers.