Author Archives: Backstreeter

Scythes not strimmers at the Abbey Fishponds

The Abbey Fishponds is a small wetland nature reserve that runs between Radley Road and Audlett Drive in Abingdon, with houses either side.

The wetland part is made of ponds, seasonal ponds, sedges, reedbeds, and a brook that runs from end to end.

The Earth Trust is now responsable for the reserve, having taken over from BBOWT a couple of years ago. This week The Earth Trust roving Wildlife Wednesday event took place at the Abbey Fishponds. It was a chance to look for local wildlife and have lots of outdoor fun.

In the centre of the site is an embankment, known locally as ‘Daisy Bank’, which gave the idea that these could have been Abbey Fishponds.

On the first Saturday of the month a team of volunteers help to look after the area, and I believe they will be out from about 10:30, although you can check if interested. They will be using scythes not strimmers.

By the way June 1st is the start of the Oxford Festival of Nature. And the Worldwide City Daily Photo have their June 1st Theme Day on Nature.

Abbey Play Area Opens and Abbey Buildings Opened

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Abbey Opens
Over the weekend the Abbey Play area was opened, and proved very popular. Although 3 or 4 times the size of the previous play area, it was full at times.

On Bank Holiday Monday the Abbey Buildings also opened with a number of activities. The Oxford Waites performed in the Long Gallery, and different theatre groups rehearsed, and music was performed in the Unicorn Theatre, .
Abbey Opens
Also in the Long Gallery food and drink was being served, and societies had stalls.

Eight different walks set off from the Market Place, some in the morning and some the afternoon.

New was the Abingdon Rivers Walk led by Martin Buckland,

and the Saint Edmund Walk led by Anne Dodd. Both were well researched and very interesting. The Friends of Abingdon have launched a St Edmund project to give more prominence to St Edmund, and are linking up with other places where he is well remembered. The plaque above is in the St Edmunds Chapel in Our Lady and St Edmund’s Church, Abingdon.

P.S. The Abbey Buildings are open to the public from May 1 to September 30, between 2pm and 4.30pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, but not usually with so much going on.

Abingdon Blog Slideshow – May 2017

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Thy Kingdom Come

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They Kingdom Come
Between Ascension Day (25th May) and Pentecost (4th June), some of the churches in Abingdon are taking part in the 11 days of prayer initiative begun by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and called Thy Kingdom Come.

The full Abingdon programme can be seen on the Trinity web site.

This afternoon, Deacon Selina Nisbett led one of the events – a Prayer Walk around Abingdon – starting at Trinity, pictured above.

Here are some of the places the walk visited, and some of the words from the sheet which was followed …
They Kingdom Come
Pray for those marginalised in society; the unemployed, those on zero contract hours and all who struggle to make ends meet.

Pray for all those who work in the health profession, paramedics, all who work in hospitals and hospices, hospital chaplains, and all those we know who are sick in body, mind and spirit.
They Kingdom Come
Pray for teachers, authors, academics and those employed in research that they might use their wisdom to transform the world.

Give thanks for those who use their creativity to share their faith with others. Pray that we may use creativity to build bridges where there is brokenness.
They Kingdom Come
Pray for our armed services, police and all who have sacrificed themselves for others …

A few sheets were left in St Nics for anybody who wants one.