Abingdon Bridge is bathed in sunshine and the temperature is not far off the South of France, where we were until yesterday. Flying home there were very few clouds from Marseille to Paris and over the channel.
The warm weather is predicted to last until the end of the week. I may have missed the food festival last weekend, but I see there is a town council meeting on Wednesday evening, then Abingdon History Day with lectures about Abingdon all day Saturday,
and Rugby Sevens.
The Abingdon Blog is having a few days rest as the blogger has been visiting places in the south of France, including Avignon. Avignon has a famous bridge across the Rhône.
At Avignon, the original bridge no longer goes all the way across.It has fallen down and been rebuilt a number of times. The Rhône is a powerful river and during the mini ice age, of medieval times, big blocks of ice came crashing against the spans sending them tumbling into the water.
The Avignon bridge is known around the world because of the famous children’s song, Sur le pont d’Avignon,
On y danse,
on y danse,
Sur le pont d’Avignon,
On y danse,
tous en rond.
There was no dancing today, but a mistral was blowing us all about, and I thought that people taking pictures of each other, or selfies, looked like dancing.
Normal blog service will be resumed as soon as I find my way back from Avignon to Abingdon. Take care. It would be dangerous dancing Sur le Pont d’Abingdon.
Peter writes The OCC Highways dept seem to have a policy of not cleaning weeds from kerb edges and adjacent pavements. Whilst it maybe a short term money saving success the long term damage to kerbs and pavements could be colossal. The attached picture shows an extreme sized weed in Hadland Road. It must be about 3 feet tall. Peter asks has anyone seen a bigger specimen?
Well I don’t like to boast but I have seen fairly large weeds breaking through the car park that belonged to the Upper Reaches.
The back of the Ex Bellingers garage also has a mass of weeds breaking through as it waits to get permission for whatever development happens there. Not OCC highway but it does shows how quickly nature can take over a vacant plot.
Last Year, on the Day of the Election of the Mayor of Ock Street, an artist called Ben Edge (website: www.benedge.co.uk) was taking lots of pictures of the event. He has now produced a painting based on the Day.
Last year was very hot. This year was cooler.
After dancing at locations along Ock Street and in the town centre, the Morris Dancers, and invited teams, rested for a much needed drink outside Pam’s House. Pam was supplying Free Beer to the Morris Dancers and their followers. In so doing Pam has inadvertently created the first Free House in Abingdon for many a long year.
The Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers then danced round Pam.
After Pam’s Dance it was back to the Brewery Tap where the ballot box had been all day. A few more votes were cast by the dancers.
At 4pm the ballot box was carried, coffin-high, to the back room of the Brewery Tap.
The Mayor of Abingdon and Town Clerk were there to ensure all votes were fairly counted.
It was a close contest, and the Town Clerk asked that the votes were recounted to ensure there were no errors. Only 3 ballot papers had been spoiled this year.
The President of the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, Ewart Hemmings, announced the result, and the Mayor of Abingdon, Councillor Margaret Crick, presented the winner, MR HARRY KNIGHT, with the sash, the goblet, and the sword of office.
Mr Knight was then carried in processions along Ock Street by the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers.
A short video follows for anybody curious how the procession appeared in 2018…
