In the Stix

This Year’s Bumper Crop of Scarecrows!

Sharnbrook’s fi rst Scarecrow Festival proved a big hit as locals took to the pavements and followed the trail around the village over the weekend of 7-8th October. The festival was enthusiastically supported by residents and businesses with 40 imaginative scarecrows on the trail including Peter Rabbit, a Minion, a scientist, and Winnie the Pooh.

Lesley Seamarks and family won the fi rst prize of £50 for their bride and groom while the second prize of £25 went to Charlie Mullins for his couple taking tea on the memorial bench. Other scarecrows scooping prizes were England footballer Chloe Kelly celebrating her matchwinning goal, an uncanny portrayal of the landlord of The Swan and a pair of legs sticking out of a fl owerpot which was judged the quirkiest entry. The festival raised £417 for the NSPCC, British Red Cross and Hillside Animal Sanctuary. Meanwhile, the annual Felmersham and Radwell Scarecrow Festival took place at the end of September with this year’s theme of Recycle & Reuse. The winning entry was a straw portrayal of Wombles Great Uncle Bulgaria and Madame Cholet with second and third prizes going to fun creations of a skeleton and a country girl. A special prize for the best use of recycled items was awarded for a scarecrow of a child robot.

Schoolreaders Needed for Local Primaries

Bedford-based children’s literacy charity Schoolreaders is looking for more volunteers who can help spread the joy of reading to children in Bedfordshire primary schools, especially in the Sharnbrook area.

Schoolreaders is looking for volunteers of all ages – from students to retirees – who can listen to

children read in a local primary school, especially at those schools where children require support the most.

Worryingly, 1 in 4 children leave primary school every summer unable to read to the expected standard and the Schoolreaders scheme is now more in demand than ever, particularly to help those children most disadvantaged following the education disruption caused by Covid lockdowns.

Schoolreaders volunteers are asked to listen to children read once a week during term time and to commit to an academic year. By applying now new volunteers will be matched as quickly as possible to a partner school and be ready to start once they have completed a mandatory DBS check and virtual safeguarding training.

Jane Whitbread, founder of Schoolreaders, said, “Children who leave primary school unable to read well can’t access their secondary schooling fully which will disadvantage them for life. One in seven adults have poor literacy and cannot read instructions on a medicine label or a bus timetable or fill in a job application form. Working together we can change this.”

To find out more or to apply to be a Schoolreaders volunteer in primary schools with the greatest need in Bedfordshire, visit

www.schoolreaders.org

Remember, Remember the 5th of November!

Fantastic firework displays are set to take place in the Ouse Valley villages on Saturday 5th November.

Oakley Sports & Social Club hosts its annual event with a huge display lighting up the sky at 7.30pm. This year, the popular family night includes live music from renowned party band Funk Odyssey, a bouncy castle and kids’ disco in the village hall and a fun fair. There will be plenty of food options with the club’s kitchen open, plus a BBQ and hot desserts from Mr Ice Cream Man. To ensure queues are kept to a minimum, there will be three bars – the club house with indoor seating, an outdoor bar with seating and heating and a bottle bar with hot and cold drinks in the village hall. Tickets, priced at family £20, adult £7.50 and child £5, must be purchased in advance online from

www.oakleyssc.com

Guy Fawkes Night will also be celebrated in Sharnbrook when The Scouts’ 48th Grand Fireworks Display returns to South Field, Tofte Manor at 7pm with gates opening and BBQ food available from 6.15pm. Advance tickets – children £2, adults £3 – are available at Pick-a-Lily florist or The Co-op until Friday 4th November. Prices on the gate are children £3, adults £5.

www.sharnbrookscouts.webs.com

Do you have some village news to share?

Email jacqui@bedslifemagazine.co.uk Copy deadline for the December issue is 11 November