Abingdon Borough Council Meeting

At a meeting of Abingdon Borough Council held on 10 February 1926, the Town Clerk was instructed to write to the Automobile Association to seek its views on the proposed introduction of a ten-mile-per-hour speed limit in the centre of the town.

It was agreed that statutory notices should be served on householders requiring them to provide proper sanitary dustbins within ten days. Those who failed to comply would be required to pay for bins supplied by the Corporation.

Alderman Preston reported difficulty in locating certain old documents belonging to the Corporation. As a result, he advised that parish maps currently held at St Helen’s Church should be taken into formal custody.

Several items of expenditure were approved. Repairs to the floor of the Council Chamber had cost £102 19s 0d, while decorating and wiring part of the Guildhall, together with the installation of additional light fittings, was estimated to cost a further £120.

The Council approved a motion recommending to the Royal Commission on Mining that the use of pit ponies should be discontinued.

A motion was carried expressing the Council’s view that the refusal by the Master and Governors of Christ’s Hospital to allow organised school games in Albert Park was not in the best interests of the town.

Kindly Deed

A lad from the Baptist Sunday School, who has been in bad health for some time and has been treated in the local Cottage Hospital and is now beginning to recover, is being sent to the Sunday School Union Convalescent Home at Bournemouth for a month. On its becoming known that he was going away to the sea, the Sunday School children subscribed among themselves a few shillings to be sent to him as pocket-money during his stay.

Northcourt Women’s Institute

The monthly meeting was held in the Northcourt Hut on Wednesday afternoon, when Mrs Squire, of Milton Hill, gave a very interesting lecture on Switzerland. After tea and business at the market stall, all the ladies and guests were entertained by a short play and a costume song from the Mothers’ Welfare Centre, which were greatly appreciated.

B.B.C. Blacklists Abingdon

Wireless enthusiasts will be interested to learn that the B.B.C. have officially put Abingdon on the ‘Black List’ of neighbourhoods with serious wireless interference caused by faulty or badly adjusted receiving sets. We hope this will be a warning to those who make the nights hideous by howls from mis-handled valve sets. If they do not know how to keep their sets from squealing, they should consult an expert or write to the B.B.C. for the free pamphlet on the subject.

Police Superintendent to retire

After twenty-two years’ service as Police Superintendent of the Abingdon Division, Mr W. T. Foster retires at the end of March. During that time he has earned the respect of all with whom he has come into contact. Even wrongdoers have learnt to acknowledge his charitable disposition, since he was ever ready to put in a good word for men whenever it was possible. Unfortunately, Mr Foster has not enjoyed very good health for some time, but it is hoped that on relinquishing his duties he will recover and enjoy for many years his well-earned leisure. Under his leadership, the police of Abingdon have won for themselves a reputation for fair dealing and do not go out of their way to seek trouble.

Magic, Music and Mystery

The Corn Exchange was well filled on each of the three evenings when an entertaining programme of Magic, Music and Mystery was presented in aid of the Abingdon Church Hall Building Fund, and the National Children’s Home and Orphanage.

The programme opened with a series of magical problems by Mr Chivers, which were cleverly executed and well received. This was followed by musical selections from several singers, the first being Miss D. S. Hall, who rendered “Sing, Sing, Red Sun”.

Further feats of illusion were then introduced by Mr Chivers, including “Diogenes and His Tub,” “The Artist’s Dream,” and “Bluebeard’s Last Wife,” all of which showed considerable ingenuity. Additional vocal items followed, maintaining the musical variety of the programme.

The final section consisted of so-called spirit manifestations. Before commencing this part of the entertainment, Mr Chivers informed the audience that everything would be accomplished by sheer trickery. Nevertheless, features such as “The Dancing Table” aroused considerable interest and provided a striking conclusion to the evening.

Borough Bench – Tuesday

Before the Mayor (Mr J. D. Godfrey), Messrs J. N. Paul and M. T. Tatham.

Wrong Licence

John Wade Coxeter, from Oxford, was summoned for using a motor-car in Abingdon for purposes other than those for which it was licensed.

P.C. Shuff stated that at 9.30 p.m. on the day in question he saw a motor-car, driven by the defendant and carrying three passengers — two ladies and a gentleman — arrive at a dance at the Guildhall. The witness saw that the defendant had a limited trade licence (allowing the car to be driven only for business purposes). The defendant said, “I know I am wrong, but I could not get my other car, which is properly licensed, to start, and I had agreed to bring the ladies to the dance with this man and so chanced being stopped.”

A Dog With Two Homes

Christopher Hatherall, of Denchworth, near Wantage, was fined 5s for allowing his dog to stray in Abingdon without having the owner’s name and address on the collar. The defendant pleaded guilty and said his dog had two homes, one at Wantage Road Station and the other at Denchworth, and as he was not at one he thought he must be at the other. He did not report to the police the dog was missing until he was told the dog was at Abingdon.

Football

Abingdon Town 6 – Reading B.W.I. 6

This high-scoring game took place before a handful of spectators in the Culham Road enclosure. The Town forwards, who gave a greatly improved display, were let down by the defence. In two instances goals were practically given away. Another goal could be traced to weak goalkeeping. The Town deserved both points but had to be content with one. The Town goals were scored by North (3), S. Crook (2), and T. Pratley.

Witney 2 – Abingdon Pavlova 2

Abingdon Pavlova nearly broke Witney’s record of being one of the unbeaten teams in the League, and a fine and exciting game was witnessed by a fairly good crowd.

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to Selections from the Municipal Records of the Borough of Abingdon by Liversidge in Abingdon Library.

Additional thanks to the North Berks Herald Library microfilm in the Abingdon Library for stories and the adverts. The picture of Ely Brothers came from the Abingdon Directory. Thanks to Chat GPT AI for making some adverts less grainy.