Village near Hereford celebrates jubilee with royal scarecrows

Wellington Village Fun Week is a local event organised every two years, and has this year been taken over by jubilee celebrations.

A scarecrow figure of the Queen. Picture: Wellington Village Fun Week /PA Wire

The week includes themed quizzes, picnics, fireworks and bingo, but many have also taken pride in designing life-sized Queens, Prince Philips, and even royal guards for their gardens.

"The theme this year is kings, queens, princes, princesses or anything with a royal connection," co-organiser Phil Smith, 68, told the PA news agency.

A scarecrow figure of the musician Prince. Picture: Wellington Village Fun Week /PA Wire

"For instance, the chapel in the village have done a display of William, the Queen, Philip and all the royal children as one display.

"We've probably got a dozen or so Queens dotted around... and a few Purple Rain Princes."

A scarecrow figure of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. Picture: Wellington Village Fun Week /PA Wire

Wellington Village Fun Week has been running since 1972, with its scarecrow competition first taking place in 2006.

An independent judge from outside of the village will study the figures on Saturday night and announce the winner at a local picnic, where a light show and band will also feature.

A scarecrow figure of Princess Leia from Star Wars in Wellington for its fun week. Picture: Wellington Village Fun Week /PA Wire

Other creations include Princess Fiona from the 2001 film Shrek, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, and Princess Leia from Star Wars.

"Some of them are really impressive," Mr Smith said.

A scarecrow figure of the Queen, part of the royal-theme scarcrow festival in Wellington. Picture: Wellington Village Fun Week /PA Wire

"My personal one is the Queen with a parachute and she's parachuting into my garden, she is stuffed with straw.

"Some people are so artistic and have such imaginative minds. Everyone seems to have grasped it really well."

Mr Smith said it took him around four days to finish his scarecrow creation of the Queen, but added that the competition is about the "taking part" for the villagers.

"(The prize) might be a couple of bottles of wine and a box of chocolates - the prizes aren't important, although it is competitive," he said.

A scarecrow figure of the Queen as Wellington gets ready to celebrate the jubilee. Picture: Wellington Village Fun Week /PA Wire

"It's the prestige, but it's done in a light-hearted way - it's banter more than anything.

"Everybody deserves to let their hair down a little bit. Two years of lockdown hasn't been good for anybody but we're just taking the opportunity to give something back and everybody has responded brilliantly."

The village's self-funded Fun Week is something local people often return to even after moving away, Mr Smith said.

"We've done it for a long time now and you watch the children grow up and take part, and they always come back to the village during Fun Week," he said.

"Even when they are 20 or 30 and they've gone off to university, they always seem to come back. Deep down, it's a sense of belonging and the community which they really like.

"It's a bit more deep-rooted than just something we put on for the village."

Mr Smith added that 70 years on the throne is something he "admires" about the Queen.

"The admiration I think everyone's got of the Queen, the fact she dedicated her life to the country and the fact that she's actually stuck to her word for 70 years, I think everybody admires that and I think that's what's in my mind."