How the festival started about 12 years ago:
"A scarecrow festival
From an article in the local newspaper in Wray, Lancashire, monitored for the Institute by Yvonne Malik.
David Hartnup and his wife Frances were holidaying in the Pyrenees last year where the local villagers were holding a scarecrow festival.
David was captivated by the idea and put it to members of Wray Institute on his return home.
Now almost everyone in the local community has jumped on the bandwagon and entered into the spirit of the event. David said:
'We thought it was a good idea and a way of promoting Wray fair which is held on Bank Holiday Monday and so we put it to the committee.
'We just can't get over the way the idea has taken of. There are scarecrows all over the village.' As well as the normal Worzel look-alikes there is a fisherman - standing in the river, a pilot - hanging out of a plane on a roof, a ballet dancer, a sweep coming out of a chimney and even a Mr Blobby."
From an article in a local paper"
(The village in the Pyrenees was Campan.)
Nowadays the scarecrow festival is held every April for fun and to raise money for various worthy causes (mainly local). It has really caught on and lasts for a week with various events. It makes the news on local and National TV, radio and newspapers. We get thousands of visitors from all over the country and even a few from abroad!
Each year, there is a different theme for the scarecrows. We have had the Olympics (1996), the UK Election (!) (1997), Alternative Energy (1998) and Icons of the Century (1999).
