The Prime Minister (Mr. Winston Churchill), had a magnificent reception today when he paid a visit to Abingdon Lock to help rally members of the local Home Guard. He made a very stirring speech.

Mr Churchill spoke with members of the Home Guard and demonstrated the famous V for Victory sign.

Abingdon lock keeper Mr Richard Hawkins told me it’s all in a day’s work … welcoming the Prime Minister and some soldiers back from Flanders.

A large crowd of Abingdon people had gathered to see Mr Churchill and welcome back the heroes of Dunkirk.

They were bloodied but not beaten.

May Blossom, the sweetheart of the Home Guard, sang some favourites.

Members of the UTP (Upper Thames Patrol) Local Defence Volunteers were also there guarding the River. Mr Churchill did say, in my hearing, that he considers the name UTP Local Defence Volunteers not plain English, and so plans to rename them the UTP Home Guard.

Local people spoke to soldiers evacuated from Flanders who said they were bombed almost the whole way over the channel and it was a miracle so many of them got back alive. It was thanks to a fleet of small boats.

Congratulations to Mr Richard Hawkins (the lock keeper), and assistant keeper Frank Jordan, and to other volunteers, who made this a day to remember.

The Head of the River rowing event on Sunday will see nearly 400 boats rowing against the clock from Culham Reach to Wilsham Road. They set off in groups of almost 100 at intervals from the following times:
Division 1 Start Time: 09:30
Division 2 Start Time: 11:45
Division 3 Start Time: 14:00
Division 4 Start Time: 16:15

You can also watch boats, and visit refreshment stalls, at Rye Farm Meadow where boats embark from landing stages. So throughout the day from about 8:30 until 17:00 there are rowing boats to be seen going up to the start point at Culham Reach or back again.  The event is run by Abingdon Rowing Club and they have many volunteers to make sure it runs smoothly on one of the best stretches of water on the River Thames.

At Abingdon Lock there will be the Thames at War event from 10:00 – 16:00. There will be WW2 re-enactors, Winston Churchill, Live Music, Exhibitions, Period Boats, Military Vehicles. Feel free to dress in 1940s clothes.

There will also be the Eighth Abingdon Cycle Festival starting at Abingdon Market Place. There are a wide range of rides planned, including quick race team dashes, mellow road, mountain bike rides, and family rides.

The third Abingdon Passion Play was on today in the Abbey Gardens.

In the two hours before the play, from 12 – 2 pm, there was a chance to look round the community stalls and take part in activities.

There was a display by Gideons from Abingdon who give Bibles, and New Testaments to schools, hotels, hospitals, prisons etc.

The Abingdon Carbon Cutters were there letting us know about some of their campaigns including Plastic Free Abingdon.

Hilary Green, Mayor of Abingdon (2003 – 2004) was there as the Chairperson of the Abingdon Sea Cadets.

The Vineyard Church had a very popular Easter Egg hunt, something they do every year, but this year part of The Big Easter Event..

St Ethelwolds House were there to let us know about their activities, such as Mindfulness Courses, and about Oxfordshire Artweeks which I will do separately some time in the near future.

The local National Trust group had a stall to let us all know about their talks and tours.

At 2 pm, the Passion Play began. It was quite different from previous productions. All the action took place on a stage with a big screen behind. The screen sometimes showed the action magnified, and sometimes showed the choir. There were three very good actors, from LAMPS theatre, playing: Marcus, a centurion, Mary Magdalene, and Simon Peter. Through their eyes, we saw the last days of Jesus who was there, in some sense, but never seen.

The local community came on for other roles and crowd scenes.

The script and eight songs were created for the production, and the songs sung by a large choir.

Near the end Jesus was crucified,

and then rose again and appeared to Mary Magdelene.

There was a good audience and the production was well received. LAMPs will now go on tour with the production.

I am not sure whether community members like Mike Gould, who played Herod ‘Nigel Farage’, will be joining them.

Thankyou to Jane for sending this:

Singers, dancers and actors from the Oxfordshire Youth Music Theatre are a group of talented 14 to 19-year-olds from all across the county, including quite a few from Abingdon.

Their latest production of 42nd Street is running now with tickets available for the shows on Friday 5th at 7pm and Saturday 6th at the 2pm and 7pm. The performance is at Radley College Theatre, Abingdon.

Tickets are available by searching We Got Tickets for 42nd Street OYMT on https://www.wegottickets.com or on the door if there are some left.