Scarecrows and flower arrangements provide an additional splash of colour at harvest festival at Barnet Vale church

Imaginatively dressed scarecrows sitting and standing among the pews added colour and a sense of fun to a weekend of events at St Mark’s Church, Barnet Vale, to celebrate harvest festival.

Scarecrows and autumn flower arrangements were submitted by a range of community and youth groups – including an appropriately attired entry from the 1^st Monken Hadley Guides (see above, with guide leader Charlotte Antoniou).

There were 25 entries for St Mark’s harvest flower and scarecrow festival – and the 14 scarecrows spread around the church were a great attraction.

The aim was to give the traditional harvest festival events and fresh twist and welcome newcomers to the church.

Church wardens John and Caroline Hay organised the festival – seen above with scarecrow Hay West created by a class organised by the Flower Bank, New Barnet – and they were delighted with the support and interest from numerous local groups and classes.

John Hay, who is chair of the Barnet Society, said the entries from the 1^st Monken Hadley Guides and the 4^th Barnet Boys Brigade and Girls Company had been complemented by several scarecrows decorated at flower arranging classes run by Ursula Stone from the Flower Bank project.

A group organised by Age UK, with Ursula’s help, produced scarecrow Slack Alice – seen here with group member Linda Moore.

An off-beat entry had the title The Mucklowe’s Bench featuring Kerry and Kurtan, two characters from the tv series This Country.

Genevieve Abrahamsson developed the scarecrow theme from the first episode of the series about life in the Cotswolds and a scarecrow trail at the village fete.

“Genevieve’s entry is special. This Country features a vicar in a Cotswolds village, so it is very apt,” said the rector Father Tristan Chapman (see above).