Following on from 2010's success, the committee worked on ideas to further improve the Halloween event. Involvement of Whitchurch Primary School and Whitchurch Beavers and lots of time put in by children and their teachers and adults resulted in a decorations for the bonfire.

Generous donation and support from Macmillan Publishers, Raymond Brown Minerals and Recycling, John Dollin Printing Services, Newbury Reclaim and Clacy's Garage meant that on Thursday and Friday a large collection of materials had been amassed on the Meadow. A small dedicated team spent all of Friday building the structure of the fire which was completed with the children's artwork on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Pyrotastic Fireworks team set up the firework display and the pyrotechnics that would help ensure that the castle came to a dramatic end.

On Saturday evening from 5pm, a large crowd wended its way to the meadow and as darkness fell the evening's entertainment began. The scarecrow competition was won by the Kelland family with a great collection of people and animals, second was Tony Hills; they received certificates from the Mayor and justified applause from the huge crowd. The Mayor then moved into destructive mode an set of a series of explosions and flares which sealed the fate of the castle decorated by Whitchurch Primary School and Whitchurch Beavers.

Soon, flames destroyed the castle, lighting up the Meadow and the crowd and, hardly had the flames started to die when the area's best firework display ever filled the skies, culminating in a finale which drew well earned applause from those watching.

Everyone's thanks are due to Rob Dunlop and the Whitchurch Festival Committee for the whole event.

Larger versions of the pictures are available for a donation to the Festival fund - use the contact page if you want one (pictures of children to families only).