“I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers, consultin' with the rain. And my head I'd be scratchin', while my thoughts were busy hatchin'. If I only had a brain” - Scarecrow, The Wizard of Oz
If someone asked me what I thought about when they said ‘scarecrow,’ I would most probably acquire a glum-felt tone of voice and tunefully (or not) begin with ‘I could while away the hours...’ which is, of course, the sad song of the Scarecrow from the much-loved tale The Wizard of Oz!
Mention this familiar figure of the rural landscape to a resident of Wray in Lancashire, and I’m sure they could tell you they’ve built a few, seen a few, and definitely celebrated their being.
Every year, the Wray Scarecrow Festival runs as part of the village country fair, where residents display their themed scarecrows around the village. This year, Virgin Balloon Flights are sponsoring the event, with the most super duper scarecrow winning its creators a flight for two over the festival!
For further information regarding the annual festival, please visit the Wray Village Website. You, too, can drift above Wray and see the scarecrows from the sky with tickets for just £169 per person.