Spectator competition winners: presidential mnemonics

In Competition No. 3227, you were invited to provide verses to help children remember the sequence of the last eight US presidents.

The same challenge was set in these pages more than 30 years ago, and on that occasion the late Martin Fagg, a titan in the world of literary competitions, emerged victorious. Here’s a snippet from his winning entry, which takes us more or less to the point where yours start from:

Gerald Ford — so superdumb He couldn’t walk straight chewing gum. Georgia’s Carter — folksy guy, First ‘Jimmy Who?’, then ‘Jimmy Why?’ Last, Reagan — filmic do-or-die man, And one-time husband of Jane Wyman.

It was a mixed bag this week, but the best of the bunch earn their authors £20 apiece.

Jimmy beat Jerry, Then Ronnie beat Jim, Then Georgie beat Fritzie, Then Billy beat him. Then Georgie, the son, Beat Al Gore and became Potus (the second To go by that name). Then came Barack, Then the One with Small Hands. Then Biden. And that’s Where the record now stands. Robert Schechter

Jimmy Carter is our starter Peanut farming was his trade. Ronald Reagan was a cowboy In the movies that he made.   George H. Bush had several children In this list you’ll find his son. People would have liked Bill Clinton To have kept his trousers on.    Bush the second, known as Dubya, Started Middle Eastern strife. Barack Obama was a charmer, And he had a charming wife.    Donald Trump, a total chump, Deserved to get the old heave-ho. After him in came Joe Biden, How he’ll do we don’t yet know. Brian Murdoch

Joe, a dear, a sleepy dear Trump, a drop of orange sun Then Obama played it cool After Dubya’s turn to run Bill, a hopper into beds Bush, who never made his cuts Reagan socked it to the reds And Jimmy Carter grew small nuts. Nick MacKinnon

Each four years the US voters Choose someone to be the Potus If they want to stand a chance They have got to learn to dance! Carter, Jimmy did the shimmy Cowboy Ronnie tripped ‘hey nonny’ George H.