When we're in my home town we like to drive over to the village of Sonning. It was the nearest village to where we used to live in East Berkshire and that stretch of the River Thames from Reading to Henley has always been one of our family's favourite places to spend a few hours.
The Sonning Regatta and Scarecrow Festival was on during the long Bank Holiday Weekend and is an event that is held every two years. The villagers of Sonning (various groups and families) have been working hard at making scarecrows and other models over the last few months. These are displayed in gardens and public buildings around the village. A £5 trail map showing the locations of the displays also includes entrance to several of the bigger gardens where the owners are ready to talk about their garden and gardening. Money raised goes towards funding various village amenities.
The Sonning Regatta and Scarecrow Festival was on during the long Bank Holiday Weekend and is an event that is held every two years. The villagers of Sonning (various groups and families) have been working hard at making scarecrows and other models over the last few months. These are displayed in gardens and public buildings around the village. A £5 trail map showing the locations of the displays also includes entrance to several of the bigger gardens where the owners are ready to talk about their garden and gardening. Money raised goes towards funding various village amenities.
The theme of the event is always different and this year the 50 + displays included topical as well as whimsical and quirky subjects. In the end we only saw half of them. The ones we did see were very interesting and amusing.
The Bull Inn at Sonning
'Recyclebull'
There were several models highlighting environmental issues.
Over the wall of The Bull Inn is St. Andrew's Church and churchyard.
'Up, up and Away'
Hot air balloons hanging in the trees in the churchyard were made by members of the Girl Guides, The First Sonning Company of Guides. There was a game for the children to spot and count them.
High Street
'Emmeline Pankhurst'
- commemorating 100th anniversary
in the UK of women's suffrage and women's right to vote.
'Peter Rabbit'
'The Over Ambitious Gardener'
taking a break from gardening...
.... and some visual in-jokes refer to the television gardener, Monty Don,
and his dog companions. 'Monty, can I come and live with you?'
says this Scottie dog.
'Early Man'
'When Harry Met Meghan'
the newlyweds, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
'Hare Slide'
'Dinosaur'
Robert Palmer Almshouses
Refreshments were being served in the village hall and there was a pop-up art gallery featuring local artists.
An Art Group had made a display about the effect of plastic rubbish on the environment and especially the pollution of our seas to the detriment of sea life.
some traditional scarecrows
'Pigs Can't Fly!'
'On Safari'
I managed to visit one private garden. 'Turpins' apparently was the home of an aunt of the highwayman, Dick Turpin.