Before the weekend: news, messages, updates – click here

Presentation Evening and funds raised – click here

The Scarecrow Festival has a dedicated Facebook page; for news and updates (including competition winners), and to follow their page – click here.

Thank you to everyone who helped and supported this year’s events!

When the sad news of the Queen’s death was announced on the evening of Thursday 8th September, Hickling was busy in the midst of last minute preparations for the 2022 Scarecrow Festival – due to be held on the 10th & 11th of September. As the nation entered a period of mourning, advice and opinions were sought and the decision made to continue – “Hickling Scarecrow Festival will still be going ahead in recognition of the Queen’s support for local communities and charities. We will be celebrating Her Majesty’s life and her 70 years of loving and dedicated service to us.”

It was a different weekend to that planned but it proved to have been a great decision to go ahead; an opportunity for everyone to get together and to commemorate together – emotional at times but lots of smiles and laughter, too.

Message from the Scarecrow Committee (22/9/22):

Thank you so much to everyone for making this year’s Scarecrow Festival a huge success. We couldn’t do it without everybody’s support. From making scarecrows, cakes, teas and coffees or marshalling at car parks etc etc, thank you so much for your contribution big or small. It is very much appreciated.

We raised over £5000 for village groups and this year’s chosen charity, Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre, Nottingham.

(Karen; Hickling Scarecrow chairman)

Scarecrows 2022: adverts, programmes and competition sheets:

Competition Answers:

The Scarecrow competition is usually judged by the Mayor of Rushcliffe with additional ‘People’s Choice’ awards. This year, the Mayor visited the scarecrows but abstained from judging the competition because the Festival fell during the period of national mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The People’s Choice vote produced a clear winner: The Black Knight. Second was Lord Charles and third was The Prince of Wales (whales).

The Scarecrows:

Presentation Evening and funds raised:

A lovely evening was hosted by The Plough Inn on 4th November with presentations made to the charities benefitting from this year’s Scarecrow Festival. Almost £9,000 was raised over the weekend; £6,000 from the main event and an additional £2,000 at the Village Hall and £1,000 at Church – an exceptional success and many, many thanks to everyone who helped in anyway and to all those who contributed to the funds raised!

The winners of the Scarecrow Committee were chosen by public vote; First prize (and the cup) went to Jan and Ken for the Black Knight (with flick-of-the-switch blood feature). Second prize of a knitted Sammy Scarecrow went to Trish & Steve for Lord Charles. Sammy Scarecrow proved so popular that Karen is now knitting a twin for Jan to go with the first prize cup!

Charities supported by the Scarecrows fundraising this year:

• Maggie’s—cancer care charity
• British Legion
• Grantham Canal Water Restoration Group
• Hickling Local History Group
• Hickling Pre-School
• Hickling Standard Newsletter
• Makaton sign language group
• Pablo’s Horse Sanctuary
• St. Luke’s Parish Church
• Table Tennis Group
• Women’s Institute

Before the weekend: news, messages, updates.

(10th September 2022) A tear-jerking tribute at this weekend’s Scarecrow Festival.

Message from the Scarecrow Committee:

“Hickling Scarecrow Festival will still be going ahead in recognition of the Queen’s support for local communities and charities. We will be celebrating Her Majesty’s life and her 70 years of loving and dedicated service to us. You may wish to put a black armband or black tie on your scarecrow, if appropriate.”

(9/9/2022)

Scarecrows 2022 – update following the sad news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

We have just heard that the Scarecrow Weekend is going ahead but it will, of course, be slightly different following the sad news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The village scarecrow committee have taken advice from Rushcliffe Borough Council and received feedback locally which has encouraged them to keep going with an event which is an opportunity for our community to come together and which raises large sums of money for charity. These are both things which were very dear to the heart of our late-Queen.

The weekend will be conducted with the utmost respect; flags are being flown at half-mast and there will be no bunting on display.

(10.30am Friday 9th September 2022)

Message from the Scarecrow Committee (23rd June 2022):

Hickling Scarecrow Festival 10th-11th September 2022.

Just a reminder that Hickling Scarecrow Festival makes a welcome return this year. We will be back to our usual all singing, all dancing format after a very small scale 2021 and an absent 2020! This year’s theme is Lords and Ladies, so residents of Hickling and Hickling Pastures, get your thinking caps on!

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: June 2022

Hickling residents kept their hand in on the Scarecrows front during the village celebrations of the Queen’s Jubilee; a fitting preparation for a Lords and Ladies theme!