THE seventh annual Feckenham Scarecrow Festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday, October 8 and 9.

Feckenhamsters are once again rising to the challenge and in garages and sheds, strange and wonderful creatures are taking shape.

They’re all aiming for victory at the annual competition and imaginations are running wild. They can make an individual, a group or a whole army of the things. The public will be the judges and there’ll be prizes for the best displays. This isn’t just for kids.

As an additional touch villagers will be decorating their doors and porches with autumnal displays and, for the first time, there’ll be a pumpkin painting competition.

Visitors can enjoy a stroll around the Scarecrow Trail starting at The Square and free maps will be available. You’ll be invited to The results will be announced and prizes awarded on Sunday at 4.30pm on The Square.

A number of the scarecrows will come to life in order to serve tasty teas in the Scarecrow Marquee and there’ll be various games for younger visitors to enjoy.

A spokesman said: “It’s not in aid of anything, it’s just for fun. Unlike many similar events in the area this is completely free. Cash taken at the tea tent will be ploughed back into more village events.

“Feckenham Entertainments Committee, which organises the scarecrows, feels that sometimes it’s good for a community just to do something for fun. So there’ll be no pressure to spend anything, just the chance to enjoy a village’s creativity and good humour.”

The trail will be open from 11am on both days and closes at 5pm.

For those coming by car Winfields Megastore (on Astwood Lane) has kindly opened their car park extension - there will be no charge. The postcode is B96 6HQ.