Beenham Scarecrow Competition brings smiles to villagers faces

Full competition results announced

From Charlie Chaplin to Mickey Mouse, a number of home-made scarecrows are bringing smiles to the faces of Beenham residents.

The scarecrows were placed in gardens and outside homes as part of the village’s popular annual scarecrow competition.

This year, Beenham marks the 100th anniversary of its village hall and in recognition of this, residents were encouraged to make scarecrows depicting famous people from the past century.

Lesley McEwan, who has been organising the annual competition since 2013, said: "They could be real people or fictional characters from comics, books or films of the last 100 years.

"Despite not being able to get out to buy odd bits of costumes and accessories, people have made some fantastic scarecrows. It’s certainly given us all a treat to be able to spot them on our daily walks through the village."

In a stiff competition, the John Thurley Cup – the highest honour of the event – was bestowed on the Cooke family, who collaborated to create a David Attenborough scarecrow.

Beena Patel’s Freddie Mercury came second, while the Apsey family’s scarecrow – a depiction of Peter Rabbit and Mr McGregor – came third.

Many of those involved this year have competed before. Villager Kathy Breslin said: "We have never done an actor before, so we chose Charlie Chaplin, as he is easy recognisable.

"We didn’t have to spend any money on him – we used old clothes and the frame from last year’s scarecrow competition. It took us about half a day to make him.

"We have been lucky in the past to win the competition, but we do it for fun and it’s nice to see people smile when they drive past."

Special mention went to inventive younger participants Poppy Poole and Charlotte Harborne for their Gangsta Granny and Dr Who. Charlotte said of her Doctor Who creation: "I have always been a massive fan of Doctor Who and Matt Smith is my favourite.

"It took us most of the day to make."