Methodist minister sees the funny side of scarecrow thefts
A CHURCH minister says he has seen the funny side of his brightly dressed scarecrow being stolen from his garden twice in a week.
David Palmer, who leads services at Church Gresley Methodist Church, made his scarecrow with wife Sue for the South Derbyshire scarecrow festival and planted it proudly in his side garden. However, days later, the scarecrow – dressed in some of Mrs Palmer’s brightest wardrobe items and a summer hat – had gone missing.
Mr Palmer was subsequently contacted by a friend who had seen it dumped at Gresley’s Tesco Express in Common Road.
The 73-year-old went to collect his creation, tidied it up and planted it back in his Regent Street garden, this time “juggling” apples strung on a wire.
But it was only a few more days before the scarecrow had disappeared again. And this time, former architect Mr Palmer has had no luck tracking her down.
He said: “Where do all the scarecrows go on their days off? That’s what I’ve been wondering. Although it is certainly a little mean to have taken her, Sue and I haven’t let it get us down and we see the funny side of it.
“We hadn’t even given her a name, but it was great when we tracked her down at Tesco. Perhaps she was just out doing some shopping!
“Whoever has her now also has a real one-of-a-kind item of clothing – the yellow top she was wearing comes from Sri Lanka, where Sue and I lived for a spell.”
Mr Palmer decided not to report the thefts, which happened earlier this month, to the police.