Monthly Archives: May 2018

A look back at the 20th Century

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Chronicle of the 20th Century
Somebody has thrown their ‘Chronicle of the 20th Century‘ into the skip at the top of East St Helen Street, but today’s post looks back at the 20th Century. (Adverts taken from the Abingdon Herald from May 1978 with thanks. All Rights Reserved.)
Chronicle of the 20th Century
In 1968 the Abingdon Congregational Church came to share worship in the same building as Trinity Methodist Church. They maintained their separate organisations for the next ten years then in 1978 a sharing agreements were signed and the two congregations united at Trinity Church. So this Sunday (on Trinity Sunday), Trinity are celebrating 40 years together.
Chronicle of the 20th Century
I went to look in the library to see if this got mentioned in the May 1978 Abingdon Heralds (on microfilm). I could not find anything about that, but there was a story about the Abingdon Congregational Church building (now the Ask Restaurant). The headline was ‘Rival Plans for Old Church – Skateboards or Art and Crafts?‘ The VWHDC (Vale White Horse District Council) were to decide between competing schemes for the old church, either to become a centre for traditional crafts, or a specialist skateboard centre. I don’t think either happened.
Chronicle of the 20th Century
Also of interest was the headline ‘One Way to Car Chaos‘. East and West St Helen Street, and St Helen’s Wharf bridge had just become One Way. This scheme had been months in the planning, but motorists, who lived in the new housing estates in South Abingdon, did not seem to know, and lots of them tried to go down East St Helen Street where a temporary barrier stopped them going home that way. The editorial said that it was like a return to the bad old days of Abingdon traffic chaos.

Bank Holiday Abingdon Walks

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Bank Holiday Walks
The late May Bank Holiday is an opportunity to join some free organised walks round Abingdon.

MORNING WALKS ~ leave the Market Place at 10:30 am
Bank Holiday Walks
The Boundary Walk follows the Town Boundary as it was when the Royal Charter was granted to Abingdon-on-Thames by Queen Mary in 1556. You will be accompanied by a Town Crier. (About 4 miles and 2 hrs).

A member of the Twin Towns Society will tell you about the history of Abingdon, the Great Abbey Church which once dominated the town, and its associated centuries old medieval buildings, today owned and cared for by the Friends of Abingdon. (About 1½ hrs).

Have you noticed vegetables growing in flowerbeds in Abbey Meadow and Abbey Gardens? Or the beautiful pollinator-friendly beds near the play-park? Or the wildflower maze on the Meadow? A child-friendly, accessible stroll round some of the projects run by Abingdon Carbon Cutters. (About 1hr).

Enjoy a tour around the centre of the town to places connected with St Edmund of Abingdon who became the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1233. Hear from an enthusiast about Abingdon`s most famous son. (About 1½ hrs)

AFTERNOON WALKS ~ leave the Market Place at 2pm

Join the Abingdon Naturalists on a nature walk to Radley Lakes where you can enjoy tea and cakes organised by the Friends of Radley Lakes and follow the trail round the main lake before returning to the town centre. (About 5 miles)

Do you know how many Rivers and Streams flow in and around the town? Hear from an enthusiast about well-known and lesser-known waterways starting in the town centre then out to the countryside and the Swift Ditch. (About 4½mls, 2½hrs. Shorten to 3 miles, 1½ hours by returning on your own from the lock)

Another opportunity to hear about the history of the town and the Lost Abbey from a member of The Friends of Abingdon (About 1½hrs)

From the 17th to the 20th century the centre of Abingdon became a Hive of Industry. Join the town archivist on a visit to places producing a variety of goods from beer and books to carpets and scientific instruments. (About 1½hrs)

For the latest news see: www.friendsofabingdon.org.uk

23 days until the opening

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White pool turns Blue
June 16th sees the opening of the new outdoor swimming pool after a complete rebuild. The new pool has been filled with water and the heating system turned on to make sure it is working before the opening. The Abingdon Herald had a headline last week about the pool looking anaemic with just the white tiles showing, but it looks OK now that it is filled with water.
White pool turns Blue
Beyond the blue pool flows the River Thames where two red barges are moored, and beyond them a meadow of buttercups.

Dementia Action Week

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Oxfordshire Artweeks
Heathy Abingdon is in the Community Free Space, Bury Street, Abingdon from 21st to 26th May for Dementia Action Week.  Lisa Thompson was there on behalf of the Alzheimer’s society.
Oxfordshire Artweeks

During the week, various groups are present to talk to the public: the Alzheimer’s Society, Dementia Oxfordshire, Carers Oxfordshire, Daybreak, Stowford and Abingdon Court care homes, Soha Housing and Fiddle Fingers Quilts. Details are on the web site www.healthyabingdon.org.uk.

Healthy Abingdon was set up a year ago to bring together groups and individuals to find ways to improve health and wellbeing in the town. There are over 200 community groups in the town that contribute towards peoples health and wellbeing in various ways from physical exercise to keeping the mind active or just having fun.  Dave Butterworth, the Chair of Healthy Abingdon says, ‘It is all about helping people keep well, recover faster from illnesses and cope better with long-term problems. These are all activities that the voluntary sector does well and could do even better in partnership with the NHS and social care services.’

One of the projects that Healthy Abingdon has just started is to make Abingdon more Dementia Friendly which involves, amongst other things, signing up more Dementia Friends and helping those who deal with the public to be more understanding of the needs of those with dementia.