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Contest is just ex-strawinary

by Eve Dugdale
25/ 6/2008

IF you go down to Broadbottom this week expect to see some strange folk...

Leaning out of windows or out fishing, these motionless figures are all in it to win and it’ll be no straw poll when the champion is chosen.

It is Scarecrow Week in the village and community groups, businesses and individual residents have all got in the spirit of things.

"To date we’ve had 52 entries, plus 22 who aren’t entering but made them anyway. We’ve got some very elaborate ones and some very simple ones, human sized and some even greater than human size!" said organiser Rodney Bowden, of Market Street.

The scarecrow competition is an old tradition in the village, which was only revived last year by the community association.

"I think it must have died off in the ’90s and the community association was quite keen to revive it. There was a suggestion made that this might get community spirit going. We thought we’d probably get a dozen and we got 36, it really captured people’s imaginations," he added.

Brownies and other community groups have designed scarecrows and residents have adorned their houses with the straw men. Scarecrow trails are taking place this week where villagers are challenged to find all 52 scarecrows.

The festivities come to an end on Saturday with a Midsummer show at the community centre. Log on to www.broadbottomvillage.com for more information.