Bees join the straw creations at High Wych Scarecrow Festival this weekend

Weird and wonderful straw creations will begin appearing in High Wych this week for its ever-popular Scarecrow Festival.

The annual event is taking place on Saturday (Sept 7) from 10am to 5pm and Sunday (Sept 8) from 11am to 5pm – and organisers are aiming for it to be the best ever.

The focal point of the festival will be in the churchyard of St James the Great, but scarecrows will be dotted all around the village, from the Hand and Crown pub to the Rising Sun in High Wych Road, with more creations in High Wych Lane.

An event was held at High Wych Memorial Hall in June involving villagers making bees using offcuts from railway drainage pipes and balloons covered with modroc. These will be sprinkled around the village to entertain the thousands of visitors expected to attend.

Organisers ask that the scarecrows be in place by 10am on Friday (Sept 5) for judging in the competition for best creation. Village postman Ian Brown will be helping with the judging, combined with a public vote.