When we were young, growing up in the village, the sense of community was massive. We had 8 shops and 4 pubs in Kingsley and 2 shops and 2 pubs in Kingsley Holt.

There were numerous events, such as the local carnivals, and everyone looked out for one another. All the kids played together in the streets or down the fields and it wasn’t unusual to have 20 plus kids playing ‘Stuck in the mud’, ‘Tic’, ‘Hopscotch’ or skipping; and bicycles were always out in force. Society has obviously changed and for good reason in many cases, but it’s meant that some of the community spirit has gone. The scarecrow Festival is all about recreating that community spirit.

We had scarecrows made by 7-year olds and by 80-year olds. No one really does it to win, but just to be involved. The buzz around the two villages was brilliant and the number of people that came, as always exceeded our expectations. We couldn’t do it without the scarecrow makers though – they get better and better every year and we can’t begin to tell you all how much we appreciate your support. Our kids, who are all local, love the fact that people stand your scarecrow up if it falls over and no-one bats an eyelid at little pots of money dotted around both villages.

A massive thank you to Kingsley Church, Kingsley Village Hall and Kingsley Holt Chapel for putting on refreshments; Kingsley school for doing all the photocopying and to The Blacksmiths for giving out entry forms. We love that the local amenities do their own scarecrows and join in the spirit every year.

Also thank you to Kingsley Village Hall Facebook page and Kingsley Holt News for their marketing and promotion. We aren’t really into social media, so really appreciate their expertise in getting the word around. A massive thank you to our judges over the 3 years, who have had the unenviable task of picking a winner. Each year they have donated extra prizes so we can give out more awards because it’s such a difficult choice.

The biggest thank you goes to the scarecrow makers and the public for making this event the success it has become. We are happy to continue for as long as you support it and we are looking for ideas for a theme for next year. So get your thinking caps on and we look forward to making next year even better!!

Julie & Alison xx