Abingdon Lock back in business

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Abingdon Lock with boat
The first boat came through the refurbished Abingdon Lock chamber on 22nd March, but the boating season only really took off last weekend as the weather warmed a little, and – miracle of miracles – the sun came out.
Abingdon Lock with boat
The refurbishment involved filling in cracks and hollows, relining the chamber walls with concrete, and  installing new rubbing timbers to stop boats and walls damaging each other. Unfortunately for the contractors it was one of the wettest winters for a while, so they had to empty it of fish on more than one occasion.

Muslim Prayers in Abingdon

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Muslim Prayers in Abingdon
Yesterday it was a privilege to join with the Abingdon Muslims during Maghrib prayers (salah) at 19:50.

The Abingdon Muslims regularly meet for communal prayers at the Guildhall on a Friday, and have done for some time. But recently they have been meeting in a small room, kindly shared for free by a local business owner in East St Helen Street on Saturday and Sunday.

I gather Muslims pray 5 times a day, these prayers are compulsory for all adult men & women on a timetable that changes depending on the sunrise and sunset.

Today I followed their prayer timetable and took pictures at each prayer time:
Sunrise : 6:22, Zuhr : 13:15, Asr : 17:45, Maghrib : 19:51, Isha : 21:30.

Regular prayer keeps Muslims mindful of Allah (God) throughout the day and praying in congregation develops community spirit and strengthens relationships.

Navy Medics carrying stretcher 360 miles for charity

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Royal Navy Medics carry stretcher
Two days ago members of the Royal Navy Medical Service started to carry a stretcher from the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine in Birmingham (where injured personnel are first received) to Hasler Company recovery centre in Plymouth via Headley Court in Surrey , a distance of 360 miles in 14 days. This traces the route of injured service personnel on returning to the UK.

Last night they stayed at Chipping Norton and were welcomed by the Prime Minister.
Royal Navy Medics carry stretcher
Tonight they stayed in Abingdon. Tomorrow they stay at Henley.
Royal Navy Medics carry stretcher
They were welcomed to Abingdon by a number of town councillors, The Mayor, and The Chair of the Vale District Council …
Royal Navy Medics carry stretcher
Nicola Blackwood MP, and Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, were also there to show their support.

For more information about the ‘360 mile stretcher carry’ which is raising money and awareness for service charities that support injured service personnel see www.rnmsstretchercarry.org.uk.

Any Questions and Man Lab from Abingdon

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Any Questions from Abingdon
The BBC Radio 4 panel show ‘Any Questions?’ was broadcast live from Our Lady’s Abingdon at 8pm this evening.

Jonathan Dimbleby, in the chair, was joined by former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Heseltine, commentator Peter Hitchens, Labour shadow public health minister Diane Abbott, and Liberal Democrat care minister Norman Lamb.

Jonathon began by saying that Abingdon claims to be oldest occupied town in Britain … then added there are other towns making similar claims. He went on to say that Our Ladies Abingdon opened as a convent in 1860. It now is an independent Catholic co-educational Foundation that welcomes pupils from all faiths and none.

Questions were:
1) Was Osborne guilty of a cheap political jibe in linking welfare & Philpott?
2) What punishment should be handed out to the former bosses of HBOS?
3) Is North Korea a real threat to the UK & would this justify the replacement of Trident?
(During the discussion Jonathon asked the audience and the overwhelming majority were against a Trident replacement.)
4) Should hate crime be renamed crime of prejudice?
5) Where do you fit into the 7-tier class system & is it representative?
Any Questions from Abingdon
Interesting to see that although Dr Evan Harris is no longer our MP, having lost the last election by 176 votes, he is still a significant voice nationally, and appeared on Any Questions five weeks ago in Swansea.
James May's Man Lab
The next time Abingdon is on the BBC nationally will be James May’s Man Lab next Thursday at 8pm on BBC2 where “James travels to an Oxfordshire town where a royal tradition desperately needs his help. Can he find a way of feeding thousands of locals to save their diamond jubilee celebration using ballistics and hot crossed buns?”