Scarecrow Festivals in the UK

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
Location
USA
I never knew about these, but here's some pics and info on Scarecrow Festivals in the UK, more pics here.


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 scarring 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.
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LOL I can honestly say I've never heard of a scarecrow festival...nor seen any scarecrows in little suburban gardens only ever in fields...... but the history behind them I didn't know SB, thanks for that.. :D
 
There is a country village not far from where I live and when they have their annual fete, people have scarecrows hanging from their windows or stood in the front garden.
 
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Lots of scarecrow festivals in the Lake District, Cumbria. My grandson's class recently made a scarecrow as part of the festival at Holker Hall. They competed against other south Cumbrian schools and won first prize. :)
 
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We went to Regents park in the city today...and on the edge of the park they have a little allotment where they are training and hoping to inspire people to grow food, while providing advice on organic growing techniques etc...and as we walked past what was propped up against the garden shed?...this guy... :D right there in the centre of the city.. :hatlaugh:


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