West Hallam - Well Dressing 2018
w/e 22 July 2018
All of this week's pictures were
taken with a Kodak DX6490
This year's Well Dressing Festival in West Hallam opened on Saturday
July 14th with all the usual entertainment and the well dressings
were still on view all the following week. We didn't make it
on opening day but did visit during the week to see some of the
dressings. We began in the village centre at the Village Hall.
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A drive to the left of the Village Hall leads up to St Wilfrid's
Church where unfortunately the sight of Teddy Bears sliding from
the top of the tower down a zip wire on Saturday afternoon had
not been possible due to wasps in the tower and that part of
the Festival, popular with children who usually bring their own
Teddy Bears to slide down the wire, had been cancelled.
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To the right of the drive to the church a well dressing celebrated
forty years of the art in the village.
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And in front of the Village Hall the centrepiece dressing prepared
by the "Ladies of West Hallam" was a depiction of St
Wilfrid himself. This was also a reminder that the first well
dressing in the village forty years ago was part of a Flower
Festival in the church from which the present day Well Dressing
Festival has grown.
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To the right of the church drive and close to the impressive
War Memorial another smaller well dressing depicts the river
of poppies at the Tower of London, appropriately placed here
to commemorate the ending of the First World War one hundred
years ago.
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This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the Scarecrow Trail
which is run in conjunction with the Well Dressing Festival and
one such scarecrow in front of the Village Hall also recalls
the centenary of the end of World War One.
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Although it was much quieter in the village during the week following
the opening day's activities, there were still books, DVDs and
plants on sale outside the Village Hall raising much needed funds
for charity. Collection boxes were also adjacent to all the well
dressings.
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The natural world featured in several of the well dressings and
this one by the staff and children of the Village Pre-School
showed "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" from Eric Carle's
picture book for children.
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Nearby the Community Pre-School declared they were very proud
of their allotment and used it as inspiration for their well
dressing complete with a Flower Pot man.
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Nature was also apparent in School Square where the Celebrating
Guiding dressing by the 1st West Hallam Guides marking the centenary
of the formation of guiding in the village was fronted by lavender
swarming with bees. There are more well dressings and many more
scarecrows to be seen around the village but the best way to
see them all is to make a note of the date and pay them a visit,
same time, same place but next year when they will do it all
over again.
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