SIMON ARMITAGE

Congratulations this morning to Simon Armitage , the new UK Poet Laureate.

A Yorkshire lad , for sure , shaped by the rugged Pennine scenery of his home town, Marsden , and the industrial legacy of nearby Huddersfield. He's a fine poet , and a worthy choice.

Let's also celebrate the concept of reward for long and hard work.

In a world driven by soundbites and instant gratification , we would like to believe that raw talent is enough to succeed , but the plain fact is that it needs to be harnessed and focused on long term goals .

I don't know if young Simon Armitage had any ambition to become Poet Laureate , but over the last thirty years , he has chosen to follow paths, and taken opportunities which gave him entry to the selection pool.

We can all wish on stars...but to get there we need to learn about space and train as an astronauts.