There is a log fire at the Old Anchor Inn, by the River Thames in Abingdon. Over the fireplace mantel are the words “DO NOT TOUCH The fire”.
As a child, one task I was sometimes allowed to undertake was to clear the grate of the previous night’s ashes, and then start the next day’s fire. This would either entail using white fire lighters, or the gas poker under a pile of coal.
On a number of occasions I remember watching as adults held a thin sheet of newspaper in front of the fireplace to draw up the flames. This was a more risky process, and on a couple of occasions I saw the flaming newspaper being sucked up the chimney. It could have caused a chimney fire but didn’t. We learned from our elders that fire had to be treated with respect.
As regards children. After approximately 25 years the Kingfisher Canoe Club that has provided activities for the youth in Abingdon have been evicted from the Vale of the White Horse land to make way for the army who only use the site 4 times a year. Please support Abingdon youth and sign the petition on the Vale site as below. Thank you
http://democratic.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/mgEPetitionListDisplay.aspx?bcr=1
This time I agree with you Janet – actvities such as this are incredibly valuable and all the stops should be pulled out to make sure they can survive.
PS The same applies to the Abbey Hall – not our most beautiful building but somewhere which, properly managed, could provide a home for all kinds of actvities for all ages and tastes.
Fully agree on this one Janet – I’ve signed and would encourage others to do so. The river is one of our great assets. When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to spend many hours on it at the rowing club which at the time was next door to the canoers. We must support organisations like this who are critical to our riverside town.
They are also collecting signatures in the market place today if people find the vale petition site difficult.
A pub near me carries this helpful warning: “Warning. Fire may be hot.”