Search on for red hot wicker man design (From Oxford Mail)

Search on for red hot wicker man design

5:02pm Friday 17th July 2009 in Search By Thom Airs

A SCHOOLCHILD’S sketch will be turned into a giant wickerman to be set on fire in Oxford as part of a new competition.

All school pupils in the county are eligible to enter a design of a 25ft-tall wooden effigy for the Oxford Round Table fireworks display in South Park on November 7.

It will be the third wicker giant built by Dan Barton and his friends and family.

Mr Barton, a craftsman and building restorer from Fyfield Wick, near Abingdon, said: “It’s not every day you can do a drawing and then all of a sudden it becomes made into something that will be seen by thousands of people.

“We want to make a little bit of history and for it to be embraced by Oxford.

“We’re really hoping to make it an Oxford tradition.”

The competition will close on August 14 and Mr Barton and his helpers hope to have the wickerman built by the end of September.

He said: “It will be great fun to make, we make big things with our business anyway so it’s not a problem.

“At the end of the day, if a child just gets a concept together we can work with them and adapt it. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece.

“Equally, for anyone doing art at school it would be an ideal opportunity to do something and get recognised, as we will put up entries on the website.

“The winner will get a family ticket for the VIP area in the park and they can also come and see it being built and help fill it up with straw if they wish.”

Last year’s fireworks display in South Park attracted 16,000 people and raised about £25,000 distributed to local charities by Oxford Round Table.

Mr Barton, who builds the wickermen free of charge, added: “It’s an absolute pleasure to do this with Oxford Round Table.

“They work so hard for this event and they don’t really get to see the fireworks because they’re so busy doing their bit on the night.”

It is hoped this year’s wickerman could go on display around the county in October.

Mr Barton said he would welcome anyone with a large trailer or venue to house the structure to get in touch.

He also appealed for firebreathers and jungle drummers willing to perform on the night to contact him via the competition website.

tairs@oxfordmail.co.uk For more details on how to enter the contest, see wickermanoxford.co.uk