Mothering Sunday Flowers

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Mothering Sunday comes around each year three weeks before East Sunday, so the date moves about. It usually falls in March, though occasionally it can be in early April.

Walking around Abingdon today there were lots of people carrying flowers, particularly after church. Fabulous Flowers had their display outside, Waitrose had buckets full, and at Trinity Church baskets of flowers were prepared before the service. The younger members of the church helped put together the posies that would later be given out to mothers and carers.

In earlier centuries Mothering Sunday was about returning to your Mother Church – the church where you were baptised, or the main church in the area. Over time the Mothering Sunday has become Mothers Day and is more about thanking mothers, though the church traditions still continue.

After church this morning I met a young Mormon missionary for the second time. He said he liked the flowers I was carrying. When I explained it was Mothering Sunday, he said that in the United States Mother’s Day isn’t until May. It was promoted in the early 1900s by Anna Jarvis as a day to honour mothers and became an official US holiday in 1914, though she later complained that it had become far too commercial.

Rockets, Owls and Superconductors at the ATOM Science Festival

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The ATOM Science Festival was on the Market Place and under County Hall today with more than twenty stalls, many of them from local science organisations such as Immunocore from Milton Park.

Bright Sparks Science are based on Northcourt Road in Abingdon and run hands-on science activities for schools and special events.

Children were mixing vinegar and bicarbonate of soda (common kitchen chemicals) to launch rockets. After standing back, they watched as the rockets were propelled into the air.

Dr Jim Halliday was looking around and chatting with stall holders. He is the leader of Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council and also works for the Science and Technology Facilities Council at Harwell Campus.

The Owl Conservation Project had information about their work looking after owls and had a Tawny Owl with them. Tawny owls have declined in the UK in recent decades, but they are still the most common owl species in Britain.

At the Oxford Materials stall there were demonstrations of Type II superconductivity. A superconductor is a material that, when cooled below a certain temperature, looses all electrical resistance and strongly affects magnetic fields. A superconducting disc is cooled using liquid nitrogen, and when a magnet is placed nearby the magnetic field becomes locked in place by the superconductor. This makes the magnet float in a fixed position.

The UK Atomic Energy Authority had a stall showing how scientists are trying to generate energy from nuclear fusion. Visitors could try computer games where they attempted to start and control fusion reactions, learning how difficult it is to keep the plasma stable.

There was also a marble track to demonstrate how a divertor works. In a fusion reactor the plasma becomes extremely hot, and some particles must be safely removed to prevent damage to the reactor walls. The divertor controls the exit of the heated particles leaving the plasma.

The Abingdon Astronomical Society had two telescopes pointed at the Sun. Through one could be seen sun spots. Through the other solar flares.

It was interesting to learn about all this and more. The ATOM Festival continues with talks and tours, which can be found on their website https://www.atomfestival.org.uk/festival-programme/. This year’s Peagram Lecture will be given by Professor Brian Cox. I looked for a ticket about a month ago but found they were already sold out. I am told by the organisers there is no point going along in the hope of a ticket, but there are still tickets available for other talks and tours.

Two Horse Race

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Yesterday there was a by-election in Abingdon for two seats:  Abbey Northcourt District Council and Abbey Town Council.

During the campaign, the Liberal Democrats predicted a two-horse race, suggesting that a vote for Labour or the Greens would help Reform or the Conservatives to win.

To people in the street, it looked like a two-horse race between the Liberal Democrats and the Greens. The Lib Dems were winning on staked banners. The Greens were winning on posters in people’s windows.

Yesterday was polling day.

The result in the Abbey ward was a close two horse race between the Lib Dems and Greens. Congratulations to Carol, from the Lib Dems, who has already done a lot for the town through her work as a Girl Guide leader.

The result in the Abbey Northcourt ward was clearer. Congratulations to Caleb. The Greens again came a strong second.

Restaurant coming soon / à venir

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A smart new restaurant will soon be opening on West St Helen Street. The window whitener has been removed, revealing decorative lights inside, and a row of neatly topiary trees now stands outside the window.

A French restaurant has been expected at this site, and with the frontage now looking finished, the opening will not be far away.

It is where Rosie’s Tea Room once operated, and before that Frugal Food.