Scarecrow John Wesley

Scarecrow John Wesley

“Contenders included Liam Gallagher, Freddie Mercury, and two Paddington Bears.”

What do John Wesley, Pavarotti and Taylor Swift have in common? On the surface very little but they all appeared together, in scarecrow form, at the Hunshelf Scarecrow Trail in South Yorkshire.

The theme of this year’s competition was ‘ICONS! – Someone who inspires you!’ John Wesley fitted the theme perfectly, and his horse Gospel (named after a character in a recent children’s book) came along for the ride.

The public cast their votes, and it was nail-biting stuff; other contenders included Liam Gallagher, Freddie Mercury, and not one but two Paddington Bears – but Wesley emerged the victor.

The display was environmentally friendly too. John Wesley’s creators, members of the Green Moor Methodist Church in Sheffield, pipped the other entrants to the post by upcycling and reimagining a previous church project. It was appropriate for a scarecrow that the congregation employed a make-do-and-mend approach, fashioning Wesley and his horse from long-forgotten models from the nativity. The Minister, Deacon Annabel Terry says, “The dusty woven willow creations of Joseph, Mary and a donkey were rediscovered in cellars and sheds, then cleaned and repaired with fresh willow kindly donated by their original creator, who still lives in the village.”

This is only the second year that the competition has run and there was a good turnout. Locals had a week to view the entries before voting and chose a very worthy winner.

John Wesley and his steed stand proudly in the corner of the churchyard, overlooking the road, drawing plenty of attention from passers-by. Meanwhile, Green Moor Methodist Church celebrated its success with a prize of wine, sweets and a rosette.

Although in its infancy, the event has proved so popular that it will return to Hunshelf next summer. The theme of 2027’s competition has yet to be decided.