Scarecrows invade village for trail of fun

Almost 80 scarecrows appeared around the village and church, for visitors to meet as they wandered around.

This year’s entries from local people, schools and charities were judged by Gill Prince, freelance photographer and creator of ‘Unexpected:MK’, the MK50 photography book; Ian Michie, the chairman of the Public Arts Trust MK; Jane Charles, a local textile artist and tutor; and Jools Kendall, community ranger with The Parks Trust.

They said: “It was really hard to make a decision from the range of fantastic entries. It’s clear everyone has put in a huge amount of work. And it was lovely to see so many families being creative together.”

The winners’ rosettes were awarded to:

Supreme Champion: Three Little Pigs – by B & D Wilson. The judges said: “The detail was fantastic and you could see how much work had gone into its creation.”

Reserve Champions:

The Gruffalo – by Team George in support of SNNAP. The judges said: “The team had created lots of characters in straw and they were instantly recognisable – fantastic!”

Three Blind ‘Bush’ Mice – by Melanie-Jane Ravenscroft and Martin Dardenne. “These mice really made me smile and were cleverly put together.”

Little Red Riding Hood – by Emily Bunting. “This entry was very clever with an interactive element to reveal the wicked wolf. It made me laugh out loud.”

There were a number of commendations and special awards, which included Crane Court, which had created six scarecrows on the theme of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

As well as judging, Gill Prince also took photographs of all the winning entries on the opening day of the trail.

There’s still time to see the trail on its final day, Saturday 17 June from 10am until 5pm, and guides are available from All Saints’ Church. The guide includes a quiz for children.

Drinks and biscuits will be available between 11am and 2pm, with tea and cakes available from 2pm to 5pm.

The trail celebrations include a grand raffle and a silent auction, which will both be hosted in the church. Bids for the Silent Auction can be made at any time during the church opening hours and further details are available in the Trail Guide. The Visitors’ Choice Award will be presented, and winners of the raffle and silent auction announced, at 4.30pm.

The trail creates a fun opportunity to explore an old part of Milton Keynes that has grown and expanded with the city over the last 50 years and it now very much part of it. The beautiful church of All Saints’, Loughton, and its distinctive tower is one of the landmark buildings in this part of MK. All proceeds from the Trail will go to supporting the church which is looking forward to celebrating its 800th anniversary in 2018.

Visit www.watlingvalley.org.uk/asl