Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival

This is how Mick would usually spend his Saturday but he took this week off so we could go to the Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival.

He was in good company though as Dickie Bird was also there.

Kettlewell is a quaint little village in the Yorkshire Dales. It has some beautiful cottages and is surrounded by breathtaking scenery.

It's wonderful how the whole village seems to join in with this festival. It's been taking place since 1994, originally to raise funds for the village school, it now also raises funds for the church and village hall.

Some of the scarecrows are staged along the streets but some are set out in people's gardens. I love this camping scene with the dog stealing the sausages.

The maypole is in the centre of the village. We saw Warwick Davis and his family filming here later on in the day. I know there's recently been a programme on television where he takes his family on weekend breaks around the UK, giving viewers an insight in what the country's tourism industry has to offer, perhaps he was filming on Saturday for his next series.

There were some funny poems beside some of the scarecrows:-

If you want to look good like Kate
Put nothing on your plate
Pretent to eat
Forget the sweet
The Cambridge Diet's great!

It was poignant seeing the soldiers positioned beside the war memorial with the Last Post playing.

The bride, her bridesmaids and page boy were in the lane leading to the church.

Unfortunately, the vicar was late for the wedding, he hadn't yet arrived at the church.

Mick and Archie had to get in on the act.

A Sad Scarecrow

I stand alone and cannot smile,
So step right up, linger a while,
Pop on your head and take the place,
Cheer me up and be my face.

If you're standing nearby,
And feeling sad and glum,
Pop on your head, smile and laugh,
Pretend you're having fun.

Your friends will gather with cameras ready,
Pop on your head and keep it steady,
Grin, frown or laugh, smile and say, "Cheese",
Keep a momento that's sure to please.

There were lots of scarecrows which the younger visitors were delighted to see.

This Frenchman was a few weeks too late for the Tour de France.

There's a trail right around the village with over a hundred scarecrows to see in total and trail sheets with a quiz for both adults and children to complete as they come to each clue.

The Railway Children was this years winning scarecrow display.

Well done to the village for making this such a fabulous day out. We've visited a few times before and we always enjoy it. It also helps that it's so well organised with plenty of parking spaces and helpful car park attendants. Parking is just £2. I should also mention that the village has three pubs and several cafes and refreshments are also served in the village hall. Alternatively, you can always bring a picnic and eat it by the river.