Cannock primary school creates creative scarecrows ahead of knitting festival

Pupils at Bridgtown Primary School, the Bethel Methodist Church and businesses in the town are all taking part in the spectacular this week.

Scarecrows carrying out different tasks are living on North Street until Friday morning.

A hippie scarecrow and another reading a newspaper outside a newsagents are two of the offerings. Age UK in Cannock also put together its own character, who is carried around in a wheelchair.

The school's headteacher Jo Raybould said she was inspired to set up the festival after seeing how knitting and scarecrows could transform a community.

Mrs Raybould said: "I went to a village in Devon on my holiday and the whole village was just full of knitting.

"I thought: 'Why not put Bridgtown on the map?' We went from there. We decided we would do a scarecrow and knitting festival."

Key Stage 1 pupils at Bridgtown Primary have been busy making pom poms, while Key Stage 2 pupils helped create bunting, using wool and specially-bought knitting needles, which have also been on display this week.

Mrs Raybould added: "It's involved everyone – the church, all the businesses on up North Street have done scarecrows.

"It's really to make our children part of the community. We got in touch with business in about July and then we were on our six-week break. We came back in September and checked that people were doing it. It's an absolutely lovely community feeling. People were laughing and joking. The church has been decorated as well and on Thursday afternoon we are having lots of people coming in for an open afternoon.

"We will be doing it again – but we'll probably give it a rest next year."

Mrs Raybould added: "All the children will be walking around Bridgtown and will be looking at different scarecrows."

Visitors will be able to see more of the knitting and the scarecrows when the school opens its doors from 1.30pm until 3.30pm tomorrow.