The winner of the fourth annual Famous For Fifteen Minutes contest should come as no surprise to those who attended the performances at the Daylesford Theatre last week - proof reader and first-time playwright Jean Hannant .

As the septuagenarian accepted the award for her play, ‘Old Sailors Never Die' from celebrity judge Tom Coash, Mrs. Hannant told the audience that she had got her idea from a documentary she saw some years ago.

Amazingly, ‘Old Sailors Never Die' was one of her first attempts at writing a play. Mrs. Hannant was inspired to write, ‘Old Sailors Never Die' after she saw a documentary about an army veteran who had been in two wars and had a career in the military. As a civilian he had a hard time coping.

Mrs. Hannant said she knew nothing about the life of a soldier but did know about the life of a naval officer - her father. There is a strong tradition of naval service in her family.

Photographs of her father and his napkin ring were actually used on stage as props.

‘Old Sailors Never Die', depicted a retired and widowed naval commander (Peter Frith) who is adapting to life in a boarding house and is befriended by an equally lonely housekeeper played by Barbara Jones.

“This play had all the ingredients that I was looking for particularly the dialogue and the change in the characters from the opening to the end,” said Mr. Coash.

Mrs. Hannant also had a second play performed during Famous for Fifteen Minutes called ‘Happy Ending'. She received a cheque for $250 and a golden inkwell.

Money raised from the competition goes to the BMDS Charitable Trust that donates money to other organisations in the name off furthering the cause of performing arts in Bermuda.