Mostly Books Celebrates 20 Years

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Mostly Books celebrated its twentieth anniversary yesterday.

The shop window, which is usually home to one of its distinctive painted displays, currently features How the Oceans Work by Dr Lucia Perez Diaz. Copies of the book are on display alongside a display for Paint Abingdon Pink. Framing the door is an arch made from balloons and books, looking like something oceanic.

Twenty years ago, on 1 July 2006, the doors opened for the first time. There were still books in boxes and shelves were being sorted as customers wandered in. It was the hottest day of the year. There was Wimbledon and World Cup Football, but people kept coming through the door on that first day, delighted to find Abingdon had another bookshop (the town already had The Bookstore).

Champagne was offered to customers, although many preferred water in the heat. One customer asked whether they could buy a Pride & Prejudice deckchair like the one in the window. Another volunteered to run toddler story sessions. And the card reader gave up in the heat of the afternoon. The customer whose payment was being processed emptied the contents of her purse, and was given a staff discount so she could still leave with her books.

By the end of that first day, the shop had sold books, cards, mugs and cookware. The premises had previously been the second outlet for Added Ingredients, trading as “& More Ingredients”, and some of that cookware was still being sold alongside the books. After months of planning Mark and Nikki Thornton had a bookshop.

Eleven years later, in June 2017, the keys of the bookshop were handed over to a new owner, Sarah Dennis, who has now been in charge for nine years. Yesterday’s anniversary brought Mark and Nikki back to visit Sarah. See Anna’s Book Blog at https://annabookbel.net/mostly-books-is-20-years-old for a short report and picture.

Paint Abingdon Pink 2026

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Abingdon’s Market Place was full of colour today for the annual ‘Paint Abingdon Pink’ event, organised in support of the Abingdon-based charity Against Breast Cancer. First launched in 2009, this event raises both awareness and funds for breast cancer research. This year’s event had a lively atmosphere, colourful stalls, a full programme of entertainment and lots of memorable characters,

starting with the Chair of Trustees of Against Breast Cancer – recognisable in his pink hat and bow tie, with a clip board to make sure things happened in time and order.

The Grim Dark Gaming Society, based at Paws and Play, also helped promote and organise the event. Here is one of their members with the bubble machine.

The first act I saw was belly dancing.

One vehicle caught my eye. At first glance I thought it was a police car for children to explore, but it turned out to be a look a like car from the film ‘Hot Fuzz’, with look a like actors.

There were also visits from other galaxies, like Darth Vader

and Chewbacca, seen here with two earthlings collecting money in pink buckets.

There were Mr Hemmings’ Traditional Abingdon Morris Dancers who have their day of dance around the town centre next Saturday.

Ashnah Tribal Dancers brought colour and energy with their performance.

Local favourites, The Undercovers, were on stage for an hour with a set of cover songs.

But the day was about much more than fun and entertainment. Fiona, who runs the Compassionate Café, read a series of poems reflecting the experiences of women living with breast cancer, those who had survived, and those who had not. It was a reminder of why everyone had come together: to support a charity dedicated to funding research that will help more people survive in the future.

Plastic Free July

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Members of Abingdon Cuts Plastic, part of Abingdon Carbon Cutters, were in the Market Place this Friday encouraging people to take part in Plastic Free July by making a simple pledge to reduce their use of single-use plastics.

Visitors were invited to choose one small change to make. Suggestions included carrying a reusable water bottle or coffee cup, buying fruit and vegetables loose rather than wrapped in plastic, or swapping cling film for reusable containers.

Other ideas included trying shampoo bars, choosing paper-wrapped toilet rolls, using refill stations for household cleaning products and switching to plastic-free tea bags or loose tea leaves.

The group highlighted that household cleaners such as washing-up liquid, laundry liquid and toilet cleaner can be refilled locally at the refill station at Oxford Wood Recycling.

The aim is to reduce plastic waste and keep unnecessary plastic out of rivers, seas and the wider environment. If you look at the campaign website ( https://abingdoncarboncutters.org.uk/what/abingdon-cuts-plastic/ ) you will see it was first launched in 2018, thanks to Anne Smart, and they are giving it a new push. There is an up to date 2026 Plastics leaflet under the campaign website.

Flags Disappear from Saxton Road and Marcham Road

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I cycled up Saxton Road today and noticed that all the flags had been removed from the lamp posts. Later, I saw that the flags had also gone from around the Marcham Road roundabouts.

The removals may be linked to reports that the group responsible for putting up the flags had agreed to stop displaying St George’s and Union Jack flags in Oxfordshire. The council has now arranged for the remaining flags to be taken down.