IT’S been great watching all the scarecrows appear across our town. Well done to everyone who took part (I believe there were more than 60 entries) and to Wilmslow Dean Rotary Club for organising the event.

Like all my friends and neighbours, I have my favourites. I’ve enjoyed walking around town and trying to spot them in windows, or as in one case attached to a tree!

I particularly liked the surgeon with his patient outside the hospital on Alderley Road and I also liked the scissors man in the hairdressers on Water Lane. I noticed Waters joined in the fun after their team of builders put in an impromptu but creditable entry last year. And the poor scarecrow with his head in a flower bed outside the estate agents on Alderley Road made me laugh!

It was great to see some of the national name companies joining in with the local community too – UPS was a good one and I liked the one with the flower pot jeans pinned to a tree as if they were, err, excusing themselves!

It feels mean not to mention more as everyone clearly put in a lot of effort and I obviously didn’t manage to see them all, despite my best efforts. The old expression ‘it’s the taking part that counts’ couldn’t be more appropriate than with something like this.

Winners had to be chosen though and I understand that congratulations should go to the Cooperative Funeralcare on Chapel Lane for taking first place in the Best Business Scarecrow section and Ashdene Primary School for winning the School Scarecrow section with a flowerpot-type man which was on display in one of Hooper’s windows.

Hopefully the scarecrows will be with us for a little while longer so that everyone can enjoy them.

On holiday in France a couple of years ago we came upon a local village’s scarecrow competition. Open to all, the scarecrows were gathered in a farmer’s field and the public could wander among them and then vote for their favourite.

We spent a happy couple of hours viewing them all (yes, there were that many) and marvelled at the ingenuity. The scarecrows had been made from everything from bottle tops and cans to bicycle parts and brushes and dustpans, and lots in between!

Just a thought, Wilmslow Dean, could we organise a similar event for a day at the end of the commercial/schools competition, where local people (all ages) could bring along their scarecrows? We could charge a small entry fee for the public and raise a bit of dosh for a charity too. What do you think?

Email or write in with your favourite scarecrows from this year’s competition at yourviews@guardiangrp.co.uk.