Author Archives: Backstreeter

Remember, remember / The fifth of November

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The 2nd Abingdon Scouts organised a community fireworks display behind Long Furlong Community Centre in Abingdon this evening. The 2nd Abingdon Scout Group was founded in 1922 and was first known as 2nd North Berks Scouts. They moved to their present location off Farm Road in the 1960s.

It had been raining before the firework display and a large crowd waited with umbrellas. The Abbey Brass Band played music. There was a BBQ with hot dogs and beefburgers, and canteens with hot drinks provided by the scouts. Then came the countdown for the fireworks.

During the display, the rain stopped but started soon afterwards.

It was good that the annual display coincided with November 5th, Guy Fawkes Night. “Remember, remember / The fifth of November / Gunpowder, treason and plot.” The only bonfire was one filmed and shown on a screen along with adverts for sponsors and the scouts.

There is more information about the scouts at https://2ndabingdonscouts.org.uk/.

Annual Traditional Craft Fair, Autumn Concert, and new local history book

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The Abingdon Craft Fair was started in the 1970s to provide funds for the Abbey Buildings and is still going in the 2020s. See Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair for prices and a list of crafts at the annual craft fair.

Abingdon and District Musical Society have their autumn concert at St Helen’s Church on 12th November. It includes Fauré’s Requiem. See Abingdon & District Musical Society.

Judy Thomas has produced a new local history book about the Hamlet of Northcourt.

Nourthcourt Lane still looks like a hamlet despite being surrounded by Abingdon houses and Abingdon United FC.

County Hall abseil

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Abingdon County Hall was taped off this afternoon as a worker abseiled about the outside.

A van, parked nearby, was the property of  Chiltern Lifts Company. And so this could have been part of a survey to see about installing a lift, something the town council have started to investigate. Town council officers met recently with Historic England Planning and architects to consider three options for the lift. (But that is a complete guess. Somebody out there may know better. Perhaps it was the Mayor’s Charity Abseil.)

UPDATE: Actually, my guess was wrong. The lift engineers were looking at the current lift and will be back once they have consulted with the manufacturers. It could be out of action for a while. The abseil was English Heritage workers repairing the balustrade and cupola. They also cleaned the windows.