On the Market Place this morning, MGs, made in Abingdon, gathered. Although not the owners, I took this picture of Margaret and Alwyn Langsford, who happened to be passing. Margaret is very well known in the Church in Abingdon, and Alwyn on the Abingdon and District Music Society.
As well as MGs, a number of walks were setting off from the Market Place . These are the leaders of the longest walk round via Sutton Courtney, but there was also a green walk, and an Abbey walk. Throughout the day there were also tours of the County Hall but I will leave those pictures for a separate blog post.
Street Parties carried on through out Abingdon. In Elizabeth Avenue, off Peachcroft Road, Alison had been the person that got all the neighbours to get together, some of them for the first time, for the Diamond Jubilee.
Of course this is all to celebrate Queen Elizabeth. The 1952 – 2012 floral tribute can be seen in front of the Guildhall.
The Queen was to be seen on the large screen
in the Abbey Grounds, and on many smaller screens throughout the town during this evenings Diamond Jubilee Concert, as we tuned in to the concert at Buckingham Palace.
This evening celebrations in Abingdon then continued with the National Celebrations …
as a beacon was lit on the roof of the County Hall, and in many others places throughout the nation, and commonwealth.
Thanks to Alice for this final picture of the beacon on the roof.
Abingdon done herself proud with the celebrations for the Queen’s Jubilee. For all the people who had a moan about the money the town was spending, I bet they enjoyed themselves and just thought “what a great few days we’ve
all had”. Well done Abingdon!!!
It has indeed been a great few days and our town has done itself proud. We certainly enjoyed the events we went to.
I guess we just have different views about whether spending far more money than needed is justified or not.
My view is that many of the events and activities have demonstrated that you can have just as much impact without spending thousands.
You seem to describe anyone taking this view as ‘moaning’. Well I will continue to ‘moan’ when I see money being wasted, because when it is wasted on one thing it can’t then be spent on another.
Well done Alice, Nigel and the team – fantastic few days and worth every penny. Bring on the Olympics 🙂
I have to add another vote of thanks to everyone involved. I have had a great few days. I think that the ‘ayes’ will have it on this occasion. There will be lots of people who, had they not had the organised events to go to, would have had a very unremarkable time during the Jubilee.
I think everyone has worked really hard, special credit due to Steve Rich & Nigel Warner for all their efforts as usual.
The walking programme was organised for the Town Council by The Friends of Abingdon (your local civic society), ably assisted by the Friends of Radley Lakes, Abingdon and District Twin Towns Society, Abingdon Green Gym and our local Ramblers group. There were Tea and Cakes at the Lakes and refreshments at the Abbey Buildings where the Town and Abbey timelines could be seen together by the public for the first time. There were also picture quiz sheets for everyone to use to explore the town. These, together with answers and lots more information can be downloaded from the Friends of Abingdon website for a limited period:
http://www.friendsofabingdon.org.uk
We’d like to thank all the willing volunteers and the Council Staff who helped to make it such a successful event …
AND THE SUN SHONE!
Well done Alice and your team, well done all the staff. A huge amount of work but some truly memorable moments. It brought together a whole lot of people who all thoroughly enjoyed themselves – me too.
I still think £50,000 is an awful lot of money to spend and I hope the final costs will come in well below that amount.
I am fed up with the moaning minnie tag. I don’t make insulting remarks about those who think it’s ok to spend so much money. We are all entitled to our own opinion, and its important for all members of a councl to be able to give their opinion, question, and have healthy debate without those that disagree resorting to childish name-calling.
It’s been a great weekend, well done all.
I seem to have put the cat among the pidgeons, and I apologise to Angela about my “moans” reference. I’m only going on the way that it came over on the BBC Oxford News. Matter closed and great weekend was had by all.
Hats off to everyone who made the events happen over the weekend. Given the appalling conditions, great fun was had by all, and the turnout, especially for the bun throwing goes to show that Abingdonians are proud of town. I really think the Town Council have delivered. Yes, they have spent some of our cash (probably about 30k), but overall, I’d say money well spent and goes to show the town is on an upward trajectory.
Last night’s fireworks finale was just stunning and I am glad to have made it back to Abingdon in time to catch the lighting of the beacon and to stand in the car park at the Abbey singing the national anthem along with the others gathered there.
The team who planned everything and all the people who supported them and all those who planned street events deserve to feel proud to have made the weekend so special for so many people.
Thank you 🙂
From us at Spyrotechnics, it was a pleasure to provide the fireworks on Saturday. If anybody took any video of the display on Monday night would the please post a link to it.
Thanks
Many thanks to Karl and his team (Spyrotechnics) who created the wonderful and memorable firework display – I have received lots of favourable comments. You were a great team to work with!
Thank you to everyone who supported the weekend of events, and especially to town council staff who worked very long hours to make it all happen!
Apology accepted, Isabel. The BBC presented a very one-sided view of my interview. I had made a lot of positive comments about being glad to be celebrating the occasion, which were edited out. That lead to some really unpleasant and untrue comments being printed in the local papers. But that’s the media for you.
I had expected better of the BBC 🙁
I am really glad it all went well, and impressed that so many Abingdonians refused to let the weather spoil it.
The fireworks on Monday night were amazing.
and I was the one that sang Rule Britannia on Sunday night, and proud to do it.
Firstly can I reiterate that we DID NOT spend £50k. That is the upper limit of spending allowance, not what has been spent.
It’s about time people stopped lying. No more than £30k has been spent and a portion of that has been recouped.
Secondly can I thank the brilliant team of Abingdon Town Council officers, Nigel, Steve, Sandra, Sue, Tim, Nina and many more. We could not have done it without them.
@Cllr Jason – Only one person other than you has mentioned the £50,000 figure in this thread, and that mention was followed by the words “and I hope the final amount will come in well below”.
Why not just publish a list of what has been spent here and then we’ll all be clear?
@Kat P. What IS clear is that we all had a fantastic time and, whatever the amount, it was money well spent.
A very big thank you to all those at the council who worked so hard to provide these celebrations, which really underscored Abingdon’s sense of cmmunity. The atmosphere in the park was super & the fireworks magnificent. Great!
It was The Abingdon Herald that gave out the £50k figure and set the cat among the pigeons.
They should be asked to print true figure.
Regardless – money well spent, a fabulous weekend, despite the weather.
@Kelly – The Abingdon Herald published the £50K figure because that is what the Town Council budgeted for the Jubilee. £25K in last year’s budget and another £25K in this year’s.
and Jason should apologise for his remark about people lying