West Hallam - Wells & Scarecrows
w/e 16 July 2023
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300
Well Dressing Festivals are
held in villages throughout Derbyshire during the summer months
and the one nearest to Ilkeston is at West Hallam which, with
its associated Scarecrow Trail, can usually be seen early in
July. The Festivals are always subject to the vagaries of the
British weather and unfortunately, early July saw changeable
conditions with plenty of rain and even the occasional thunderstorm.
West Hallam Festival's opening day with its charity stalls and
street entertainment when the roads were closed for the afternoon,
was marred by such conditions.
Sunday was a better day, in fact it was probably the best day
of the week, and an appreciative audience was treated to a concert
by Matlock Town Brass Band in the yard at the Village Hall.
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In front of the Hall, Scargill CE Primary School's well dressing
was titled "Love of Reading" and a collection box was
in aid of the "Wildlife and Countryside Link".
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A scarecrow also in front of the Village Hall featured a theme
that was repeated in several other displays commemorating the
75th anniversary of the NHS. This one by West Hallam WI was an
effigy of Florence Nightingale - although she was around long
before the NHS was founded.
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The large circular well dressing in its customary position in
the yard at the front of the Hall was inspired by Eastwood born
author D H Lawrence and his novel "The Rainbow". The
book, controversial when it was first published, has been read
and discussed by the village's book group "Wine, Women and
Words" and their charity was the Will Garvey Trust Foundation
which aims to raise awareness of mental health struggles. The
group noted that the rainbow now signifies new hope and happiness.
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Across the road from the Village Hall, the Scarecrow Headquarters
had a tableau depicting the nursery rhyme "Tom, Tom the
Piper's Son".
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As a fundraiser, an adjacent table had miniature scarecrows for
sale.
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There were more well dressings in the centre of the village and
this one, with the Women's World Cup due to start in the near
future, was inspired by England's European Championship team,
the Lionesses. Titled "A Roar For The Lionesses" the
Village Pre-School were supporting the Duchenne UK charity.
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Scarecrows come in all shapes and sizes but this one in a more
traditional pose stood at the corner of School Square.
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Close by another scarecrow, dressed as a beekeeper, stood by
a well dressing titled "Save The Bees" by West Hallam
Minors Club with donations going to the Wildlife Trust.
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And bees were there in large numbers on the lavender and all
around the WI tribute to the NHS in front of the old school.
Their charity box was to support "Ben's Den" a local
organisation that provides free holidays in six caravans for
children with cancer and is supported solely by fundraising and
donations.
Other well dressings in the village centre included the Community
Pre-School's "Harlie's Butterfly Garden" (left) in
aid of The Dog's Trust, part of the display sadly showing signs
of weather related damage; St Wilfrid's Church Well Dressing
Team's NHS tribute at the end of the church drive (centre) supporting
the Healthcare Worker's Foundation and Stanley St Andrew's Church
of England Primary School's "Peace" display (right)
in School Square celebrating the culture of the Windrush generation
with proceeds from their donations going to the British Heart
Foundation.
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