The St. Georges Day dragons of West Hagbourne

Another year, another St. Georges Day, which means another excuse for an evening walking around the lovely West Hagbourne to photograph their annual display of dragons.

This year I was joined by friends including fellow photographers and bloggers Ryan and Emma.  Walking around the village with a small army of people taking photos seemed to produce some odd looks from the locals – as if they weren’t expecting folk to actually want to see the dragons they’d put on display!

As ever there was a great range of dragons on display, from shop-bought children’s toy dragons to artistic home-created dragons and everything in between.  I recommend a walk around the village next year to see for yourself!

The Village of the Scarecrows

This is an unusual post, not only because it’s about a village of scarecrows, but because I’ve edited the photos, written this text, and uploaded it all whilst on a coach to Scotland (photos from that adventure coming soon!).  Hopefully I’ll finish typing before any travel sickness sets in.

Each year the villages of East Hagbourne and West Hagbourne in Oxfordshire host some fun events.  For St. Georges Day West Hagbourne is full of dragons, and at this time of year East Hagbourne is full of scarecrows.

Although a village of scarecrows sounds eerie, like something from a horror movie, it’s actually quite fun.  The villagers make scarecrows and display them for all to see, which is great for people who pass through the village, as I do quite regularly.  If you fancy a wander around the village you can buy maps from the local pub, and tea and cakes are available from the church.  It really is a community event!

2014 marks the 10th Scarecrow Trail, and has the theme of celebrations. As you’ll see, there’s quite a variety of scarecrows in the village.  This year there were fewer scarecrows than in previous years, but it was still a pleasant way to spend a summers evening.