Monthly Archives: January 2016

Very Good of Sir Terry Wogan to visit Abingdon Twice to see friends

Sir Terry Wogan
There was a large queue outside the Bookstore when Terry Wogan came in November 2009 to sign his autobiographical book ‘Where was I?!”
Sir Terry Wogan
I heard him say on BBC 2 National Radio beforehand “look forward to seeing you at Abingdon. I will be at the Abingdon Bookstore at around 12:30 this afternoon and remember … it is the rare unsigned ones that raise all the money but anyway I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends there.”
Sir Terry Wogan
He was back 5 year later in November 2014 to sign copies of his book “The Little Book of Common Sense: Or Pause for Thought with Wogan”.
Sir Terry Wogan
It was Very Good of him to visit Abingdon twice, and to support his friends at the Bookstore and meet lots of his Old Friends who knew him through the BBC Radio 2 Radio morning show.

Thanks to Malvin for the first two pictures.

Here We Come A-wassailing in Caldecott

Wassail
Next to the Local Excellence Market, this morning, campaigners, intent on saving the Oxfordshire Children;s Centres from closure, were asking people to pledge not to vote for ANY County Councillor who votes for the closure of the Childrens Centres in next week’s budget meeting.
Wassail
At South Abingdon Children’s Centre this afternoon there was a Wassail. It was the second year this event has taken place.
Wassail
The children;s centre was open for activities and free refreshments. It often acts as a Community Centre as well as a Children’s Centre.
Wassail
Outside in the grounds of Caldecott School there was dancing by the Vale Islanders and Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers.
Wassail
Mulled apple juice was heating on an open fire in the forest school area.
Wassail
and down in the orchard area a traditional wassail poem was recited to the apple trees.
Wassail
Trees were festooned with ribbons and hung with toast for the birds to feed on. Then everybody made a loud noise to awaken new life in the trees.
Wassail
The loudest noise came from the Vale Islanders who have obtained a couple of muskets.

The Black Swan @ Abingdon

No, not a new pub, but a genuine black swan
The Black Swan
I first saw him on December 5th  in South Abingdon on the gravel pit lake nearest to the Marina and he is still there and very much at home with the mute swans (of which there are 2 large families) and a wide variety of other water birds.
The Black Swan

(Many thanks to Elizabeth for the report.)

Abingdon Aunt Sally League needs committee members

Abingdon Aunt Sally League
Brian has an appeal for help for people to help run the Abingdon Aunt Sally League. He says …

I draw your attention to an immediate crisis facing the Abingdon Aunt Sally League where following their recent A.G.M. the very existence of the League is in question following the resignations of several Committee members.

Abingdon Aunt Sally League
Whilst I appreciate that Aunt Sally is not for everyone, in the Abingdon League last season there were 65 teams ( Pubs or Clubs) that registered and approximately 800 players that had an interest in the game.

For anyone interested the current League address is to be found at abingdonauntsally.com and for anyone wishing to learn the origins of the League Basil Collins a founder member, who is still with us today, writes …

Abingdon Aunt Sally League
As Licensee of the ‘Black Swan’ Abingdon during early February 1960 my interest regarding pub sports was 100% participating in playing darts, when one Saturday morning two customers came into the bar, whom I knew later to be a Sid Green and Ron Farrell, purchased drinks and making general conversation about pub activities, asked me if I would be interested in forming an Aunt Sally League, to which I replied, “What the hell is Aunt Sally?”

Read on … abingdonauntsally.com/history/the-first-30-years