Scarecrows! They are beginning to appear over the island in readiness for the fun kicking off on Sunday.

Bramble is busy planning which of the dog show categories she’s most likely to win

And we’re busy putting the finishing touches to our scarecrow

This year the festival is celebrating the National Year of Reading with a books and stories theme.

Now there’s loads of scope with that, but…I’m not very good at producing scarecrows that look like a familiar person or character. As a glance at Ziggy Scarecrow and Crow-Ella shows.

I maybe did a little better with my first ever attempt

That’s me serving breakfast and Bramble stealing the sausages. I was a bit (a lot) flattering to myself with the face

But I do best when it’s a made up character,

That’s Blodeuwedd, a woman made from flowers who is in the Mabinogion. I don’t think there are any contemporary images of her for reference, so I could make her look how I wanted.

So this year, our scarecrow will feature a made upon book by a made up author.

Maisie’s Amazing Maize Maze Mystery by Janey Clarke.

Janey Clarke was a character I played in one of our local plays.

I didn’t want to have a book without a story, so I’ve had a go at writing the story to go with it. In the play another character is scornful of Janey for writing ‘children’s literature’. (He’s an author too). He thinks it’s easy.

IT IS NOT.

It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever written, particularly trying to make it realistically readable for children. And if you do read it I must make it clear that the Janey Clarke in the play was a much better writer.

The story is in a separate post.

I’m hoping for dry calm weather over the next few days so we can get it safely in the garden. More pictures to follow, here and on our Facebook page.

Caroline x