Carrots, Scarecrows and Opticians?
Now there’s a tenuous link if ever there was one. What are we on about, we hear you ask? Well believe it or not, at Allegro Optical Opticians in Meltham, there is a very clear link between all three.
Firstly yesterday was International Carrot day. We all know that carrots are good for our eyes and our eye health. Carrots are very rich in beta-carotene, a carotenoid pigment which is an essential precursor to vitamin A. Deficiencies in vitamin A are the leading causes of blindness in the developing world. A lack of vitamin A can also lead to the development of Cataracts, Macular degeneration and Xerophthalmia (a disease which is characterized by dry eyes, swollen eyelids and corneal ulcers).
Carrots also contain lutein, which is an important antioxidant. Lutein-rich foods can increase the density of pigment in the macula, the area in the centre of the retina. As pigment density increases, the retina is protected more and the risk of macular degeneration decreases. So yes Carrots are very good to maintain eye health.
Meltham’s Scarecrows
Secondly, Scarecrows were used in the past to protect young carrot crops from birds. In fact, there have been many a Scarecrow with a carrot for a nose. So what better link than to next months Meltham Scarecrow Festival?
Allegro Optical is very involved in organising this year’s event, which promises to be bigger and better than ever before. The event is held every year on the first bank holiday in May and this year is no exception.
On Monday 7th May, Meltham will play host to hundreds of Scarecrows, all dotted around the village. Between 10am and 4pm there will be live bands, street food, a Samba band workshop, a fancy dress competition to find the best Scarecrow costume and much more. There is a treasure hunt and the main Scarecrow competition to find the very best Scarecrows in the village. Businesses, Community Groups, Charities and children all compete in the various groups to win their sections. It gets very competitive!
Loving local
At Allegro Optical Opticians we believe passionately in supporting our local community. This is why we do everything we can to help and our team gets involved in many local events. We believe in giving something back to the community that has supported us since we opened just twelve months ago.
As part of Meltham Business Association, we’ve been working hard with other local businesses to make the Scarecrow Festival a success. As part of the Meltham Scarecrow Festival, we are holding a Scarecrow Workshop this evening in the Church Hall. Between 7.00 and 9.00pm residents can come along and find out how to make their very own Scarecrow.
The Meltham Scarecrow festival group are made up of members from Meltham Business Association and Meltham Over 60s group. Together we are working to bring a fantastic spring festival to our lovely village. To find out more about Meltham Scarecrow Festival visit https://www.meltham.info/meltham-scarecrow-festival/ or why not come along on the 7th May and find out for yourself all that this fantastic event has to offer.
06.04.18
So following on from the workshop yesterday, we thought we would add a few photos of the event.
