BIRDS have been frightened silly in East Hagbourne as the village holds its annual scarecrow competition for the 11th year running.

Residents worked tirelessly over the past four weeks to produce 27 scarecrows, which stand outside houses across the village near Didcot.

The competition was started by the Friend’s of St Anne’s Hospital to raise money for medical care in Liuli, Tanzania.

The scarecrow trail begins at St Andrew’s Church off the main road, and continues throughout the village.

Tea and cakes are sold at the church, where people can collect a map with details of all the scarecrows dotted about. Proceeds go to St Anne’s Hospital.

Diana Duff, one of the organisers, said: “We usually raise about £400 but this year we’ve been very busy. I’d say we will probably raise about £600.

“It’s been wonderful seeing all the people coming to the village. There have been some incredible designs.”

As well as raising money for charity, there is a competitive element to keep the locals interested.

Residents and visitors to the trail can vote on their favourite haymen.

Main Road resident Andy Barmer has been entering the competition for the past five years with his wife.

The 53-year-old said: “We’re in it to win it, and this year I think we’ve come up with a great design.”

The photographer made an impressive mannequin of Tom Baker playing Doctor Who, and attached it to the Upper Cross Monument.

In 1975 Mr Baker visited the village as Doctor Who to film an episode called The Android Invasion.

During the episode Doctor Who is tied to the Upper Cross by androids and narrowly escapes before the village is blown to bits.

Mr Barmer said: “It’s 40 years ago since Tom Baker visited the village, so I thought it would be a good idea to mark an historic occasion. We’re competitive but also it’s for a good cause.”

As well as Doctor Who scarecrows, other fictional characters re-imagined in the hay-based medium include Harry Potter, ET and even Sweeney Todd.

Resident since 2011 Sue Steptoe built a gory reconstruction of a scene from the demon barber of Fleet Street’s barbershop in her front garden.

The 41-year-old said: “We saw the Sweeney Todd film and I thought it would be a good idea. It took us about four weekends to make. My dad and husband helped out with it.”

Some villagers such as 85-year-old Maureen Parks chose to make some original creations.

The grandmother-of-two has made a scarecrow every year since the competition began in 2004.

This year she chose to pay homage to the women who went to work in the war.

She said: “During the war, it was one of the first times that women really went to work while the men were fighting.

Oxford Mail:
Gory stuff: A homage to Sweeney Todd crafted by Sue Steptoe, 41, with the reconstruction of a scene from the demon barber of Fleet Street’s barbershop

“So I made Mrs Mop as a tribute to them, as it’s 70 years since the war ended.”

Recently retired 66-year-old Andy Stocks produced his buccaneering scarecrow Long John Crow.

The former geologist said: “It seemed like a nice idea and I’m recently retired so I had no excuse really.

“It’s good because it gets people coming to the village, and it’s raising money for charity.”

Full-time mum Sara James made an Elvis scarecrow and helped daughter Erin, six, make Winnie The Witch.

The 48-year-old said: “I’ve always wanted to make an Elvis, and Erin loved making hers but I think the doll’s face she used is scaring some of the children.”

The East Hagbourne Scarecrow Trail will continue until June 13, when the winner of the competition will be announced at the St Andrew’s Church Fete.