From Peter Pan and his arch enemy Captain Hook to the Hungry Caterpillar, James Bond and Little Red Riding Hood, storybook characters have been peeping out from gardens, on greens, in the school playground and on roadsides in the village.

The special appearances were part of 2008's scarecrow festival, which started on Friday and runs until tomorrow.

The theme for the eighth annual festival is books and their characters.

Linda Kitson, of the festival committee, said: "We ask people to suggest ideas for the theme every year and this was great because this year is the national year of reading."

She said the team had been worried that wet weather would deter visitors but people still turned out in cars, on a free bus provided by First and on foot.

Edward Smith, two, and his family were the first to explore this year's trail.

And among the scarecrows they spotted were two lovingly-crafted creations – Little Red Riding Hood and the Little Mermaid – made by pupils at Norland Junior and Infant School before the summer holidays.