Editor: This letter was sent to us following the letter from Mr. Lee, which we published in edition 5 of Bay Life: the Journal and online. His letter and our response to him in October, ‘Scarecrow Festival is about everybody getting into spirit of things’ is available here. This letter is also published in the current edition of Bay Life The Journal, the bumper Christmas special (published 20 December 2016), available in local newsagents and as a full digital download to subscribers. An archive of letters to the editor is available here.
LETTERS TO EDITOR: Mr. Lee: The Scarecrow Festival
EDITOR RESPONSE: Mr. Lee: The Scarecrow Festival is about everybody getting into the spirit of things
Having just read Mr Lees letter to the Editor, and your reply, I think it is time to put the record straight. PVP is as its name suggests – Pevensey Villages Partnership – it is not, as Mr Lee seems to think, (and you very well know) all about Pevensey Bay – it never has been. The word to note is “partnership”.—Lin Clark, founder PVP
The people involved with PVP have given untold time and effort to work for the benefit of the communities, and if those criticising – without even questioning first – put even just one hundredth of the effort PVP has put into the community …………… well that would be productive!
PVP is an organisation that is open to the views of anyone in the villages, and has always asked for and welcomed input. Anyone with a concern can email, pick up the phone, or come to one of the gatherings that are being arranged in the new year. So if you are one of those who seem to live on criticising those, who unlike you, actually work hard for the community, then I suggest you not only ask why something is being done, but offer to actually “do” something. Maybe you should even appreciate the effort of those who have worked so hard.
It is worth noting that B@y Life and PVP are totally separate from one another. While B@y Life is the local on line news site for Pevensey Bay, PVP is a partnership that is “working for the benefit of the future of the villages”. Two entirely different animals, both doing different jobs. Both with a purpose and both with value.
PVP did not “get involved” or “take over” or “spoil” the Scarecrow Festival this year. Simon, as Editor of B@y Life you know PVP invented the wheel! Without PVP there would never have been a festival – or indeed many of the other things that PVP has brought to the villages. Things that the villages badly needed. While PVP welcome the complimentary reports you have given scarecrow, we wonder why you never contact anyone to ask “why” before printing your criticisms – and there have been other attacks on PVP before this. You cannot possibly report with accuracy without speaking to the “horse’s mouth” first.
Mr Lee asked you why the celebration bonfire was moved to Sharnfold Farm this year. Moving to Sharnfold Farm was absolutely the right thing to do. If those who were moaning had asked instead of criticising, they would have learnt why. Firstly, PVP is a partnership and the promise was to provide for all the villages. Quite apart from the fact that the “partnership” is about sharing and not hogging all the benefits for one business to profit from, there were far too many problems with having the bonfire on the beach in 2015.
Collecting the wood was a major task that started well before the day and just carrying the wood down the beach took a total of 16 hours of hard slog (8 people working for 2hrs each). Safety measures with a proper risk assessment were required, manning the bonfire and clearing away the day after the event. There were complaints about the wood being stacked in preparation from the residents behind the Aqua Bar, even PVP cleared the area completely – even the rubbish that had been there long before. PVP paid for the insurance for the bonfire. The Aqua Bar was probably the busiest it had ever been yet they were the only business running an event for scarecrow that did not contribute something from the profit of that night. PVP paid the cost of the insurance for the bonfire even though they did not earn a single penny from that evening.
There were many complaints that the bar could not cope, and all meals were stopped dead even when people had been queueing to order for over half an hour, and there were complaints from the choir leader that the venue was not suitable because no electric was provided. All of these down to the venue and not PVP, yet PVP were the ones criticised for these things! There were even complaints about the balloons. Then there is the matter of tides, they have to be right and this year they weren’t. The weather – if it had rained who would have turned up? What would we have done with all those wet scarecrows?
Yes, it was a wonderful evening for those who simply turned up and simply had no idea of all the costs, the problems and the amount of work that went into that evening. But for those who did all the work it was too much.
Sharnfold welcomed us, and the 200 odd people who attended thoroughly enjoyed a balmy summer evening wandering around the scarecrow trail there before the bonfire was lit. Many preferred the country atmosphere. Sharnfold built the bonfire for us, covered the insurance, provided free parking, put on a BBQ, served drinks and cleared away afterwards. Everything was professionally arranged and ran without problems. Had it rained there was an undercover area to use and the scarecrows could be stored and burnt at a later date. All we needed to do was deliver the scarecrows and marshal the car park and bonfire. Thanks to Denis’s generosity, and his team’s hard work we were able to burn our scarecrows and enjoy a great evening.
The ceremonial bonfire would not have happened at all this year had Sharnfold not offered to host the evening. But we provided the event and while some people in Pevensey Bay complained, others were very happy to drive up to Sharnfold and support the event, just as people from Pevensey and Westham made the effort to support the event in Pevensey Bay in 2015. If you are one of those who moaned but didn’t bother to ask for reasons – then maybe you should step forward ask – then “do” something, instead of expecting it all to be done for you!
As for the “sad scarecrows we left on the streets” – Every aspect was considered when the festival was arranged. We collected up the scarecrows from the main roads just as we did the first year. Any we left behind were on private property and the makers did not want them collecting. It was not a result of neglect on PVP’s behalf. The huge interest suddenly generated by the large group of scarecrows waiting at the collection point in Castle Drive, matched the interest at Westham Green, and was testament to the fact that using main road sites is what is needed to make it work.
The fact is that it was only a few people working very hard that made scarecrow possible. As project leader I alone put in over 160 hours over the six weeks on and around the festival, and many more hours of preparation before that. Other people put in hours and hours of work to make it a success. Oh and by the way there were actually more scarecrows than last year. It isn’t a case of “let the community get on with it” as was said in the B@y Life article. Was there ever a Scarecrow Festival before? No. Why not? Because nothing happens unless someone organises it! I had always wanted to do it and PVP made it happen!
Yes, we wanted the scarecrows on the main road –of course we did – just like every other scarecrow festival on the land! Why bother if there isn’t going to be a show? The object is to have fun, join in, to benefit the villages by attracting visitors. To put our villages on the map. Who wouldn’t want those things? People want to see the scarecrows. If they can’t see them they won’t come to the villages. If you were one of the people who said “I don’t mind having one at home but I can’t be bothered to put it on the main road”, then actually – shame on you!
Judging was a mammoth task in 2015 and we could not expect someone to go all over the place hunting scarecrows down. It had to be centralised to make it possible.
If you were aware of the many phone calls and emails PVP received in 2015, asking where the scarecrows are and complaining that there is no central display area as there is normally, then you would know and understand the importance of using the main roads. People actually bus and train in to the villages, they want to walk around and see the scarecrows close up. How can they do that if they are hidden away all over the place? They need to be where they can be found and be seen. There is no point in all the hard work needed to organise the festival if the public can’t find the scarecrows.
Pevensey and Westham are well and truly “on the map” because there has been a great display in the villages both on the green and on the main road. Every day people came to walk round the green and see the scarecrows. This will be an even bigger and better effort next year. We want Pevensey Bay to make its mark too, of course we do, but to do that the community need to get together and make that happen – in the village centre and on the main road. This is how it is done in every other scarecrow festival in the country.
We have a lot of support and so we refuse to be put down by those who are seemingly professional moaners. Our scarecrows made people happy – and we have a plan for 2017 that promises to do something that no other community has done before. If you are one of the many many supporters of scarecrow then watch out for details. We will be in touch with those who have shared their emails. If you want to be on our scarecrow mailing list then please email scarecrow@pevenseyvillages.org and we will add you. If you want to know about other future projects or ask PVP a question then please do email info@pevenseyvillages.org
PVP is about “Community Involvement”. Errrrrrrrr that means you join in and do things instead of just expecting others to do it for you! If you want “something” then you need to “do something” instead of complaining at those who do. We will ignore those who seem hell bent on spoiling everything with criticism and complaints, and work for those of you who are actually grateful that PVP has put so much effort into their work in the villages.
I founded PVP to gather a group together who would invest time for the villages. Those people have worked extremely hard for the communities, and they should be appreciated not slated by people who do not even bother to ask for reasons and details. The valuable asset that PVP is to the villages could easily be lost if those involved start to ask the question “why am I bothering?”. Thank you to PVP supporters and those who appreciate all the hard work that has been done. PVP will continue to work for you!
Lin Clark (Founder of PVP)
