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29 October 2014
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Thursday 08 July 2004
Man on the moon
News image
Nick Quayle, Simon Groom & Rebecca-Rose Welsh

In 1986 Blue Peter ran a competition to find six boss designs with a modern theme for the Minster's vaulted ceiling.

Rebecca-Rose Welsh was the youngest winner aged six when her design was selected.

WATCH & LISTEN
News imageSee the 1984 news report on the Minster fire
News imageEye witnesses describe what they saw
News imageHear an interview with Rebecca
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 Man on the moon
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 Picture gallery
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LINKS
York Minster
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I was only six years old when I won the Blue Peter competition to have my drawing turned into a boss for York Minster Cathedral.

I was the youngest winner out of the six and the only one from Scotland. The competition helped to make the awful tragedy of the fire into something that ended joyfully with a beautiful new transept.

I am now 24 but will always remember the experience as one of the most magical experiences of my life.

We all had to pick a subject to draw which highlighted the 20th Century so I picked the first man on the moon.

Rebecca's boss
Rebecca's boss design

I drew it on a grotty old piece of scrap paper and asked my parents to send it in. My mum asked me to redo it on nice paper but I remember refusing and saying - 'No, just send it!'

The Dean of York told my parents later there was just something about the little spaceman that made him smile and he had to vote for it.

I drew a box on the spaceman's suit and when I met the Queen and Blue Peter presenters later they all laughed when I told him it was for his sandwiches in case he got hungry on the moon!

I have been down to York on various occasions since and still feel very proud to look up and see my boss and to have it in such a beautiful Cathedral. It is an amazing thought that it will still be up there in hundreds of years to come for my great great great grandchildren to see.

Blue Peter winners
The Blue Peter winners look up at the finished ceiling with Rebecca front right.

We still keep in touch with Nick Quayle who carved my drawing into the boss. He and the others did a magnificent job and even presented us each with a miniature boss to keep. This still takes pride of place in my family home for everyone to admire.

It was a wonderful experience and one that I will never forget. Although I am now in Australia, far from my Glasgow home, I send my very best wishes to the Minster, people of York, Blue Peter team and fellow winners.

Rebecca-Rose Welsh

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