Monthly Archives: March 2017

Abingdon Concert Band at 40

Concert Band
On Saturday evening, at St Helen’s Church, the Abingdon Concert Band celebrated 40 years of playing music. They began life in 1977 as Abingdon Military Band, and although the name has changed the formation of instruments remains the same as a modern military band.
Concert Band
Only Alan Bolder, seen here standing and smiling, was there back at the start in 1977.

For the 40th anniversary concert there was some music from 1977 such as: Star Wars, Birdland, and Hotel California. They also played music from West Side Story from 60 years ago; Sgt Peper’s Lonely Heart Club Band from 50 years ago; The Simpsons theme from 30 years ago; and Titanic,and Theme for Diana from 20 years ago. Diana, Princess of Wales, died twenty years ago!
Concert Band
Abbey Brass also formed in 1977, and both bands will be playing music in the Nags Head pub garden in June. There will even be a new beer on tap to commemorate the double 40th anniversary. At this concert the audience voted for the name of the beer:

Hornblower won with 50 votes
Bugles Best got 48 votes
Horn of Plenty got 33 votes.

Mothers Day at Rosie’s

Rosies
Today was Mother’s Day and Rosie’s Cafe on West St Helen Street opened specially to serve tea and cakes.
Rosies
Whereas most buildings along West St Helen Street have been knocked down and rebuilt in the last sixty years, Rosie’s Cafe is in an original building with a cellar, old roof timbers and a floor with a long history.
Rosies
Rosie’s has undergone a change in the last month, with some redecoration, and Rosie, the dairy cow, has moved in.

Sixty years ago this shop was called St Helen’s Dairy and would have sold milk, eggs, and dairy products. Now they serve tea and home made cakes, home made soup and bread.

Atom Science Market

The ATOM Festival talks this year have been very successful with ticket sales exceeding expectations.
ATOM
The Market Place activities also went well. It was a dry, warm and sunny day today with blue skies.
ATOM
Abingdon Astronomical Society were there with telescopes and information of what to look out for in the sky at night.
ATOM
Culham Centre for Fusion Energy had robots people could operate, and under a dark cover a plasma ball, to demonstrate some of the technologies and science they use as they look to generate energy from fusion.
ATOM
A group at Sandford Lock are looking for investors to finance a hydro to generate electricity.
ATOM
The Abingdon Naturalist Society had lot of pondlife for people to observe.

One of their new projects involves nesting boxes for swifts to try and halt the decline of the swifts’ population. They also do interesting talks.

Other stalls included: a sample of the blackest material yet made; and nano surfaces that waterproof mobile phones and make water roll about like drops of mercury. There were lots of very interesting things going on, and it seemed especially family friendly.

Marie Curie daffodils at the Fire Station

Marie Curie
Next to the Abingdon-on-Thames Fire Station there is a ‘Field of Hope’ dedicated to Marie Curie Cancer Care with daffodils planted in memory of people who lost their battle with cancer.
Marie Curie
Next door, the Cross Keys, on Ock Street, has been turned into private flats. Work on the conversion is nearly completed, and an estate agent’s boards show that some of the properties have been ‘Sold’.