The first day of the Abingdon Jubilee Meadow Festival began today in Rye Farm Meadow by the River Thames, with a funfair outside the fenced area and most activities inside the fence. Recycled cloth bunting went all around the fence.

Pat Lonergan, one of Abingdon’s longest-serving town councillors,  was handing out the festival programme at the entry. Inside, there was music on the big stage and on the marquee stage. There were lots of community stalls and refreshment stalls.

To celebrate the history of the MG Car, once produced in Abingdon, there were a series of MG cars, one from each decade of the Queen’s reign and one before. The green MG2C was a car Prince Philip had when he was courting Princess Elizabeth. The red Y type saloon was made in the year of the Coronation, 1953.

On the Friends of Abingdon Museum stall, there was a chance to make shakers like the one held by the little girl in the B&W photo from the 1953 Coronation celebration. That little girl is now the lady on the left. The other lady taught our children at Caldecott School back in the 1980s.

On the Welcome people from Ukraine stall, there was the chance to plant sunflower feeds and let them grow at home.

There we saw Lynette with her 1960s Carnaby Street jacket.

The Queen’s cutout was at the Kingfisher Canoe Stall. The Kingfisher Club House is very close to the meadow.

We walked past the WI stall and admired some of the pictures taken yesterday at the North Abingdon WI Jubilee celebration. This one shows the best Jubilee hat and cake.

This is Healthy Abingdon. The air was fresh, the sunshine allowed people to sit and relax, and it felt healthy.

Here are one of the many performers on the main stage.

Along Bridge Street, Fabulous Flowers decorated the shop with red, white and blue flowers.

There is a royal combination in one of the town’s planters.

On Abingdon Bridge, there were union jacks.

Boats are also decorated and have prime position for the four days of activity at Rye Meadows.

Thursday is clubs and societies with entertainment on both the marquee and main stage. There is a civic service at St Helen’s at 7pm.

If anybody wants to send me pictures of Street parties that I can use, then my email is backstreet60@gmail.com.

The Finishing Touch has put up their Jubilee window display,

as has Masons in Bath Street.

The bollards along the front of the Market Place have got crochet covers –

one for the Queen and two guardsmen.

Preparations are going ahead for the Meadow Jubilee Festival. Today, the grass was cut.

Last Friday, there were a group of people with campervans on the land.

By Sunday, they had gone, and a dozen red kites swooped around the area.

Today the grass was cut, and a marquee was being erected.

Looking at the town council website, ‘ The planned concert on Wednesday had to be cancelled as the site could not be prepared in time due to travellers having taken up residence the week before.’

Events will be free to anybody attending. Anybody who has bought a ticket can get a refund. More details at https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/platinum-jubilee-2022.