Scarecrows, Festivals and Fun Food

"Scarecrow festivals are held all over the world, but they are especially popular in the United Kingdom, where the use of scarecrows as a protector of crops date from time immemorial. 

Scarecrows are usually built from straw and wood, but in medieval Britain, scarecrows were young boys who were tasked with the responsibility of scaring away birds. Known as bird scarers or bird shooers, they patrolled wheat fields carrying bags of stones, and chased away any crow or starling that tried to land in the fields by waving their arms and throwing the stones.

When the Great Plague of of 1348 wiped half the population in Britain, landowners couldn’t find enough young boys to employ as bird scarers to protect their crops. So they stuffed sacks with straw, carved faces in turnips or gourds, and made scarecrows that stood against poles. Bird scarers continued to patrol British fields until the early 1800s when new factories and mines opened up and offered children better paying jobs.

Today, hundreds of villages all over Britain bring colour, vibrancy and fun to the countryside by organizing Scarecrow Festivals, where residents compete with each other to build the best scarecrow from whatever material they can lay their hands upon — pots and pans, tree stumps and branches, broken furniture and discarded clothing. The scarecrows are then displayed outside their home, in their lawns or on the streets, for all to see. The festivals usually take place in the summer, between May and July, but some towns prefer to hold them in Autumn.

Despite the centuries old tradition with scarecrows, most Scarecrow Festivals in Britain are less than twenty years old. They are organized as a fun activity for both kids and adults and are usually associated with some kind of fund raising for charities.

Some of the towns where the festival is more popular are Kettlewell, Heather, Wray, Barton Mills, Flamstead, Bromyard and many many more."

Above words taken from here and all images from google

Have you visited any scarecrow festivals? They can be such fun, although in recent years during Covid many festivals had to be cancelled. 

However, with Autumn just around the corner there could be one near where you live 😊

If you are looking for an inspirational scarecrow (or Halloween) snack why not try this

Scarecrow Dip Platter

such fun - more details here

This blog is presented in a magazine style - we hope something for everyone. You will find a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, photographs, music and recipes! However, not all the recipes ideas featured in this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health it is always advisable to consult your Doctor or health care team

All the best Jan