The third Whitworth Scarecrow Festival is currently taking place; it started on 29 June and finishes this Sunday, 7 July.
The festival has seen 35 separate displays scattered across the length of the town, and entries have ranged from characters from popular children’s books and TV to the more original and, on occasion, slightly bizarre. Some of the displays have been produced by members of the public and some have been made by schools, churches and local businesses. The weather has been reasonably kind this year and the displays have weathered well; the trail map has been very popular and many people have taken the time to visit the displays.
Unfortunately however at least four of the displays suffered vandalism over the course of the nine days, actions which have outraged members of the local community, especially as one of the displays affected was made by local schoolchildren from Our Lady and St Anselm Primary.
Councillor David Chorlton, chair of the Whitworth Tourism and Leisure Committee which organises the festival says: “The vandalism this year has been extremely frustrating. One of the aims of the festival is to encourage a sense of pride in our town and to give the community something a little different; it’s very disappointing when someone goes to the trouble of making the display only for it to be destroyed. We understand that a couple of the incidents might have been caught on CCTV so hopefully something will come of that. The Committee is determined that the 2014 Festival will go ahead as planned, and I would encourage all members of the community to consider making a display next year to show those intent on causing trouble that Whitworth as a community will not tolerate this behaviour, nor will it be beaten by it.”
For more information, please contact Whitworth Town Council on 01706 852018 / info@whitworth.gov.uk.
