If you’re looking for something to do over the Easter weekend there are a couple of local events you might be interested in – a scarecrow trail in Sutton Courtenay and a celebration of St George’s Day in West Hagbourne.
Sutton Courtenay scarecrows
Sutton Courtenay’s first scarecrow trail has over 40 scarecrows to find!
There are two maps available, with the village roughly split in two. Both maps are 50p each and available during opening hours from Burgrey Stores, the shop on the main street. Monies raised are split between the primary school and Oasis Autism.
There are a lot of scarecrows to see and the village is bigger than you might think. We cycled around most of them, a great way to cover the distance. If you’re walking with young children I’d suggest just buying one of the maps to begin with. Or take bikes or scooters.
There isn’t a specific theme to the trail. Some people have made everyday scarecrows, other have chosen recognisable characters. Some, including my favourite, aren’t really what I’d define as a scarecrow. What was my favourite? A big spider with legs made out of my multi coloured socks!
The trail is on until Monday 22 April (Easter Monday) so there’s only a couple of days left. Pop over and see it if you can.
West Hagbourne
West Hagbourne has commemorated St George’s Day for the last few years with dragons. For several years a dragon appeared in the pond or curled around the telephone box. Nowadays it peeps over a wall.
There weren’t as many dragons this year as I’ve seen in the past (we saw about 10) but the quality was high. The theme was expanded to include St George’s Day in general, rather than just dragons but most people had chosen the fire breathing beasts for their display.
No map is provided, just wander around the village and see what you can spot. I had two standout favourites. Firstly the imaginative dragon shop which is on the bend by the pond; do stop for a closer look. Secondly a dragon defending its nest from St George. Find this one in Manor Close.
The West Hagbourne dragons are on display until Sunday 28 April. On that day there’s also afternoon teas taking place in the village so you might like to combine your walk with cake.
Have you done either trail? What was your favourite creation?