BUDDING statesman Christopher Poynter is flying high in the diplomatic stakes after winning a competition to be an ambassador for a day.

The contest, instigated by Tony Blair, invited young people to write about the European Union.

Christopher, 12, a pupil at the Gateway School, in Great Missenden, impressed judges with his entry.

As one of 60 nationwide winners, he met the Prime Minister and his wife Cherie at Downing Street in April and later visited Daimler-Benz's Aerospace headquarters in Hamburg. His hosts gave him an aerial tour of the city and presented him with a model Airbus. He also attended a dinner with Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in London, on July 1, to discuss his experience.

Christopher said: "This was a wonderful trip and I enjoyed myself immensely, everybody was really friendly and put a lot of effort into making this a memorable experience."

His mother Angela, of Main Road, Lacey Green, said: "I think it's been a wonderful, wonderful, experience for all of the children. They gained an awful lot from it."

She added: "Since Christopher has been about four, he has wanted to be an airline pilot. Now he has had this wonderful trip he is even more convinced this is what he wants to do.

"He is transferring to the Royal Grammar School in September so he has a little way to go yet."

Two other Gateway School students were selected to be ambassadors for the day. Anna Selby, 11, visited Waterford Crystal in Ireland, and Richard Blues, 12, went to the Smit Port Authority in Rotterdam.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.