Category Archives: Events

Ruby’s Fair, Fun in the Park, and Music in the Park

Rubys Fair
Ruby’s Vintage Fair was in the Guildhall today. One stall had artwork based on the Bunty Comics. My wife said “their stories were so exciting at the time.”
Fun in the Park
Fun in The Park was happening in the Abbey Parks, and there were lots of exciting play activities for the children
Fun in the Park
Abingdon Rotary Club were there with one of their Shelter Boxes. ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and vital supplies to support communities around the world overwhelmed by disaster – such as Nepal.
Fun in the Park
A group of eminent Abingdon historians were photographed with the MP, Nicola Blackwood, Mayor, Helen Pighills, and Deputy Mayor, to thank them for their work on the town portal’s history section. The Deputy Mayor, Alice Badcock, had done a lot of the organisation of the Park events, together with Town Council staff.
Fun in the Park
There were also some exciting activities in the Car Park for all ages.
Fun in the Park
At the Friends of the Open Air Pool stall you could stick a flag in a square on an Old Map of Abingdon, and have the chance of winning a prize.
Music in the Park
Music in the Park followed later in the day. A sell out crowd watched bands such as Hippy Haze, the Undercovers (pictured above) …
Music in the Park
Prisoners Of Katrina …
Music in the Park
and Green Onions.
Music in the Park
The evening ended with Abingdon Town Band playing The Proms
Music in the Park
followed by fireworks.

Lots going on in Abingdon, England, but no red telephone boxes.

You will probably know already that this Saturday in Abingdon is Fun in the Park, and Music in the Park, in the Abbey Gardens; and on Sunday the Abingdon Food Festival at Miele.
Lot going on
Peter sent me an email, as a reminder, that Ruby’s Vintage and Retro Fair is also on at the Guildhall from 10-4 on Saturday. Here is a picture I took of Peter and his sister with their stall last time round.
Lot going on
Cars and campers are also gathering at Dalton Barracks this weekend for the Abingdon CAR-nival .
Lot going on
By the way, does anybody know if there are any red telephone boxes left in Abingdon, England. Abingdon, Virginia, now have two and are planning to get more. See the news source here. Perhaps we too need to start buying some back. Visitors from our USA sister city will be very disappointed if they come over here to see our modern replacement phone boxes.

Sculpture in The Vineyard

Sculpture in The Vineyard
Gordon sent me a picture of a Sculpture in The Vineyard.

He was not in The Vineyard Road in Abingdon. Nor was he on holiday in the South of France, but at the Bothy Vineyard just three or four miles outside Abingdon, where they cultivate the finest Oxfordshire grapes.
Sculpture in The Vineyard
I also received pictures from somebody publicising the same event. They showed sculptures being tugged into position,
Sculpture in The Vineyard
and finely wedged in place.

There are 160 outdoor sculptures, and a further 40 indoor sculptures to be admired between the fermentation tanks, barrels and wine press. More information at Sculpture in the Vineyard.

Bank Holiday Monday – Open Air Pool, Walks, Towel Day, and Wear the Lilac Day

Bank Holiday Monday
The Abbey Meadows Open Air Pool opened this Bank Holiday Monday morning at 9am. Early swimmers were impressed by the new management. The water was clean, with no algae on the walls, and as warm as could be expected.
Bank Holiday Monday
Meanwhile on the Market Place, The Friends of Abingdon were signing up people for Bank Holiday Walks around Abingdon. The event was co-ordinated by Pat Bryden (out of shot) and very successful.
Bank Holiday Monday
The Wilts and Berks Canal Walk was led by Martin Buckland.
Bank Holiday Monday
The Around St Helens Walk was led by Ian Jardine, with help from Jackie Smith.
Bank Holiday Monday
The 1556 Abingdon Boundary Walk was led by Martin Smith, and Town Crier – Penny Clover.
Bank Holiday Monday
The Ock Valley Nature Walk, with the Abingdon Green Gym, was led by Eleanor Dangerfield
Bank Holiday Monday
The Radley Lakes Walk, with the Friends of Radley Lakes, was led by David Guyoncourt.
Bank Holiday Monday
The St Nicolas Church and the Lost Abbey Tour, with the Friends of Abingdon, was led by Philip Kenrick in the morning
Bank Holiday Monday
and by by Hester Hand in the afternoon.

It was also Towel Day – celebrated every year on 25th May as a tribute to the author Douglas Adams, who wrote Hitch Hikers Guide to The Galaxy. The guide says “A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have …“.

Tabitha Griffiths, preaching at Trinity yesterday, wore a towel, and a lilac sprig. The lilac was in commemoration of Terry Pratchett who recently died. Some of his fans wore the lilac on 25th May. Members of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, in the Pratchett novel Nightwatch, wore a sprig of lilac, for identification.

Tabitha’s real topic after removing the towel and lilac was Pentecost as described in Acts Chapter 2.