Karori scarecrow named best dressed at awards night that didn't happen
The sash is real. The ceremony was not. Nobody can explain the certificate.
A straw-stuffed figure in a Karori front garden has won Best Dressed at the 2024 Wellington Community Scarecrow Awards. The awards do not exist.
The scarecrow, wearing a tweed jacket and a Rongotai College tie, was found on Monday morning with a blue satin sash and a printed certificate cable-tied to its wrist. Owner Denise Whitmarsh, 71, said she had no idea who did it. "I put him out in September wearing Gerald's old jacket. Gerald being my late husband, not that anyone asks. Now he's winning awards. I've won nothing in seventy-one years."
A neighbour, Colin Vasey, said he'd seen "a small gathering" on the verge on Sunday evening. Three adults, a clipboard, a bit of clapping. "Then they left. I assumed it was a book club that had lost its way."
Wellington City Council confirmed no such awards exist and never have. A spokesperson added that if they did exist, they would require a resource consent, and the scarecrow would not have one.
Mrs Whitmarsh has since moved the scarecrow closer to the window, in case of further recognition. The sash is holding up better in the southerly than Gerald's jacket ever did.
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Reader Letters
JillTheHill
Only in Karori. Where do I sign up for the next awards?
CouncillorCritic
Shows how munted our council is.
Trev_Hornby
Who knew we'd reach a point where scarecrows have more achievements than I do?
Garry (Halswell)
I don't get it. What's the big deal with a scarecrow? Back in my day, you wouldn't see this kind of carry-on. We'd make scarecrows from good old hessian sacks and they did the job just fine. Didn't need no flashy awards either.
ScarecrowEnthusiast
Mate, that's a bloody good-looking scarecrow though!
Sandra_Maybe
The real twist? The certificate was probably printed in Wingdings.
FloralFiesta
We need more adventures like this. Life's too short for dull gardens!
couchgremlin
Lol.
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