Julia Donaldson reveals poignant reason she loves The Scarecrows’ Wedding – and why she’ll be thinking about her late husband while watching

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Malcolm and I got married in Hampstead, London, in September 1972. I wanted our reception, which was nearby, to feel special, so I envisioned a horse-drawn carriage carrying us, with our guests following along. The problem was, how would we actually find a horse and carriage?

I asked around for help with the arrangements, and someone mentioned a funeral director, but they quoted me £300. Then I had a more unusual idea – a rag-and-bone man. I managed to find the one who’d actually provided the horse and cart for the TV show Steptoe and Son. He agreed to help for just £5, so I immediately booked him.

Everything went smoothly that day. The cart was decorated with flowers and, unexpectedly, included the rag-and-bone man’s daughter, which wasn’t a problem at all. Malcolm and I rode up front with him and ended up learning quite a bit about how much hay prices had gone up.

The party was held at Burgh House, a beautiful, historic building I was familiar with. My father had been involved with the Hampstead Music Club, which frequently hosted concerts there, and he’d spent a lot of time researching the history of Mr. Burgh, the original owner, and the families who lived there afterwards.

It wasn’t a formal dinner, more like appetizers and wine. The highlight of the reception was a short opera I had written, with songs for our wedding party – including the bridesmaids, my sister who was the matron of honor, the ushers, and the best man, Colin Sell.

Colin, a former roommate of Malcolm’s from Bristol University, is now famous as the pianist on the BBC Radio 4 comedy show, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue. He played piano for all the musical segments and gave a particularly impressive performance of a song I wrote specifically for him.

It reminded me of a classic Noël Coward song – a really fast-paced, witty number where almost every line rhymed with “best man.” They had all these ridiculous boasts, like, “I can do it so much better than anyone else,” and “The biggest brain, the toughest hide, the broadest shoulders!” But my absolute favorite line was this wonderfully absurd bit about being able to suck an egg and impressing Grandma. It was just brilliantly silly!

I think it’s because I have such fond memories of the day I made it that The Scarecrows’ Wedding is my favorite book to create with illustrator Axel Scheffler.

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Harry and Betty, a pair of scarecrows, aren’t known for wandering or composing music, but their wedding is wonderfully creative and homemade. Betty’s dress is crafted from goose feathers and woven by a spider, their rings came from an old farmhouse curtain, and they’re using cowbells instead of traditional wedding bells.

I feel a connection to the love story of Harry and Betty, partly because my husband, Malcolm, and I played them in a stage production at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. It felt surprisingly similar to renewing our own vows.

It’s bittersweet that Malcolm passed away last year, shortly before our 52nd anniversary, as he would have loved to see the animated version of The Scarecrows’ Wedding. I’ll be watching it with six of our nine grandchildren, and I know they’ll be thinking of their amazing grandpa.

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2025-12-24 11:35