INGLEWOOD SCARECROW TAKES OUT BEST DRESSED AT AWARDS NIGHT THAT DID NOT OCCUR
The scarecrow, known locally as Trevor, was unavailable for comment on account of being made of hay.
An Inglewood scarecrow has been declared Best Dressed at a black-tie awards ceremony that, according to every venue in Taranaki, was never held.
The scarecrow stands in a paddock off Rimu Street wearing a checked shirt, some moleskins, and a Swanndri of some vintage. A photocopied certificate was pinned to its chest sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning.
Owner Beryl Fitzsimmons, 71, said she found the certificate while feeding the chooks. "Trevor's had that shirt on since the Ardern government. I don't know who's giving him awards but they've got an eye for it."
This correspondent contacted the New Plymouth District Council, the TSB Hub, and the Inglewood Town Hall. All confirmed no such ceremony took place. A council spokesperson added that if it had, they "would like to have been invited".
A neighbour, who declined to be named on the grounds she had "a fair idea who did it", said a group of young persons were seen in the paddock around 10pm Friday carrying a clipboard. My mate at the station is looking into it, informally.
Trevor remains in the paddock, certificate intact, and is now the frontrunner for Personality of the Year at a gala that also does not exist.
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Reader Letters
couchgremlin
Scarecrows are munted.
MumOf3
Honestly, Inglewood needs more events like these supposedly 'non-existent' ones. Maybe it didn't happen, but it sure could have livened things up a bit. We're starved for entertainment at this point!
conspiratorial_ken
Sounds like a government cover-up! They don't want us to know about local heroes like Trevor. Typical council trying to keep things under wraps!
Sandra McKenzie
There's no way Trevor's shirt dates back to the Ardern government. That type of Swanndri didn't come out until much later.
ropeable_dave
@Sandra no one cares about the timeline of a scarecrow's fashion statement! It's the spirit of the award that counts, even if the event didn't happen.