John Wesley, on a unicorn!

If you were walking down the streets of Castle Cary in Somerset and saw John Wesley riding a unicorn, you could be forgiven for thinking you were having a dream. But this vision is real and it is one of more than 120 scarecrows that are on display in the town as part of its first Scarecrow Festival this July.

The inspiration for ‘John Welsey on a unicorn’ came from the young people at Castle Cary Methodist who had seen a digitally generated picture in the Hope & Anchor venue at 3Generate and at Greenbelt Festival. The artwork was made in 2022 by the Greenbelt Festival props team with the brief to create ‘some art that would look at home in a pub that captured our Methodist heritage as well as our commitment to inclusion.’

The scarecrow unicorn’s head was crafted from old sheets, quilted and sewn together with wire, while the rainbow mane and tail were crocheted and sewn onto the unicorn. The minister at Castle Cary Methodist Church, Collin Moore, donated John’s preaching gown from the church vestry whilst the head was crated from an old football and tights. One of the younger members donated an old school shirt, and it was all attached to a wooden frame.

“As we were putting it up, lots of people stopped to comment, mostly positive and the responses on social media have been great,” said Hannah Knight, Church Secretary. She continued, “At Castle Cary Methodist Church we see our calling as being both in and of the community and making God's love known in as many ways as possible. Getting involved in events like this helps us to show that God is not just stuck in a building and that we are able to be creative and have fun as we share our faith.”