Elford Scarecrow Festival

This is the first time I've been able to get to see the scarecrows as they dismantle them fairly promptly.

I was at a meeting in the village (I still get very stiff sitting for a while) so when we'd finished I wandered through the walled garden and down to the river with my camera.

The Gruffalo won, and there was a pretty spectacular serpent stretching the length of the hedge on the approach road.

But I just loved this rustic, celebratory gentleman welcoming us by the gate. Colourful, lovely expression, and a suitable reminder of Morris men, maypoles and the best of our Middle English traditions.