IT WAS a fantastic four-day festival for Gunnislake last week, with art exhibitions, music and an ?exstrawdinary? scarecrow competition. Dorothy Kirk from the Festival committee described this year?s event as brilliant: ?There was something new and something different all the time, and some surprises?. The festival saw the debut of the Gospel Choir, from the Crusade Fellowship. ?They were wonderful. Really, really good,? said Dorothy. Art was also exceptional this year in the fourth annual open art exhibition with 124 entries, including prints, paintings, pottery and sculpture. More than 450 people visited the exhibition, which was hosted by Gunnislake and District University of the Third Age. Everyone who visited the exhibition voted for their favourite piece of art, which this year was Brian Latham?s picture, ?Halton Quay?. For those whose expertise is in the kitchen, a cake competition had everyone?s stomachs rumbling. The competition, held in honour of Bessy Standing, a former president of the WI, saw Jackie Smith win, with her strawberry gataux. The scarecrow competition in its second year, was one of the highlights of the festival. More than 50 scarecrows were entered, with Sam Gardener winning the senior competition with ?Balance or Bust?, and Dimsom Day Nursery winning the junior class with ?Fireman Sam to the Rescue?. In a countywide scarecrow competition involving 22 villages, Gunnislake was in the top four. This year?s festival raised money for the Cornwall Air Ambulance, and next year?s festivities. Anyone interested in joining the festival committee can contact Dorothy Kirk on 01822 832062.
