Ex-straw-dinary festival creations
PETER Rabbit was named the top scarecrow at this weekend’s Torteval Scarecrow Festival.
The event enjoyed big crowds on Saturday, during the sunny weather, but the weather turned yesterday.
Festival co-organiser Sue Brooks estimated they had about 3,000 people on Saturday.
This year there were 55 scarecrow displays around the parish.
There were a lot of creative ideas.
The Guernsey Poultry Club included scarecrow chickens and turkeys, as well as a rather lost penguin.
Bailiff Sir Richard Collas was at the event in person, but was also featured in scarecrow form, dressed in his purple robes and armed with sausage rolls and jam rolls. He was not the only well-known face to pop up at the event, GSPCA animal collection officer Geoff George also had a scarecrow modelled on him.
Many referenced recent events. One scarecrow included a snake, which follows on from the recent hunt for the elusive L’Ancresse animal, which the GSPCA is tracking.
There was an entry which joked about Guernsey Potato Peel Pies being made of the local population by the Soylent Corporation.
First place went to Peter Rabbit, which told the story of the famous Beatrix Potter character. The scarecrows were created by the Blumsom family.
The family started entering the competition four years ago, when they moved back to the parish. Since then they have won twice and also picked up the people’s vote award.
John Blumsom said it had taken about four weeks to make the cast of 10 characters, which included the young rabbits having a picnic and Squirrel Nutkin flying overhead in a helicopter.
‘They call me Mr Scarecrow round here,’ Mr Blumsom said.
‘It’s really something for the kids.’
They decided to choose Peter Rabbit as the theme due to the recent film release.
‘I’m really pleased with it,’ Mr Blumsom said.
‘It has gone fine. I have been up there to repair it a few times, because of the wind and rain and people have said how wonderful it is.’
The second place was awarded to the Ex-straw-dinary Event entry by the Stanford family. It depicted a circus scene, complete with straw lion.
Third place went to the Yardwood family for You’re Just Another Brick in the Wall, which looked at education.
