Author Archives: Backstreeter

What happens to Christmas trees in Abingdon after the festive season

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Christmas Tree
On Thursday 5th January the Christmas Tree on the Market Place and most of the Christmas lights in Abingdon town centre were lit up for the last time of the festive season.
Christmas Tree
By Friday evening the Christmas Tree was getting a short back and sides.
Christmas Tree
The branches were the first into the shredder on Saturday morning, followed by all the smaller trees bought in by Abingdon residents: some dragged, some carried, others ferried in by car.

The trunk of the large Christmas tree was chopped into sections and given to a local barge owner for his stove. The chippings from the branches and smaller trees will be used on places such as the Ock Valley walk. The fragrance of the oils in those pine needles ought to be bottled. It makes such a wonderful smell during the shredding.

P.S. Vale of White Horse District ‏say “if you’re a garden waste customer, leave your real Christmas tree out beside your brown bin this week – we’ll collect and compost it.”

Reflections – A quilting Exhibition in the Abingdon Museum

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Quilts
Abingdon quilters return to the museum today for a second exhibition that runs until 26th March 2017. Thanks to Judy Harris for the information.
Quilts
The highlight of the show is a huge piece on the Abingdon Workhouse whose hexagonal plan in the museum sparked the first idea, hexagon templates being the first step into quilting for many people. We started with the actual workhouse building then paused. This was an organic project which slowly grew and developed with input from a very large team, and also literally grew in size when the museum suggested hanging it in the central window of the gallery!
Quilts
On the other side of the gallery are smaller pieces inspired by the ancient people, customs and buildings of Abingdon, as well as an MG piece, and a piece protesting the destruction of the Green Belt round Abingdon. The windows are adorned with textile buns made by children in a museum workshop and at OLA Junior School.

There are workshops on offer with examples on show and a free drop-in workshop for children during half-term. If you would like any further information please contact Judy Harris, 07932 718889

When Ali Came to Abingdon

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When Ali Came to Abingdon
‘When Ali Came to Abingdon‘ was a drama on Radio 4 today and can be heard at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b086tfbp.

“One over-excited fan, Mick, and his son, Luke, allow boxing-fever to overtake them waiting for a visit of Muhammed Ali to Saxton Road in Abingdon; wife and mother Sandra rebels and finds solace in a local women’s group.”

Written by Bethan Roberts, born in Abingdon, who now lives in Brighton.

Hygienic laundry

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Thanks to Captain Chaos for this look back at the Hygienic laundry. The Hygienic Laundry (Abingdon) was set up in 1932 and closed in 1976.
Hygienic laundry
This photograph shows the staff at the laundry circa 1945. I think the room is the one on the corner of Wilsham Road and Caldecott Road. The lady second from left, second row from front is my late Auntie Win. During the war another Auntie, Gladys (who also worked there), recalls how they would launder the bloodied sheets and uniforms from a near-by American Military hospital (possibly Cowley). In Win’s loft, I found a large wooden trunk that was used to carry their laundry, it was stamped U.S Army and had the names of a number of G.I.’s pinned to the side.

Gladys also recalls how during the war the staff would take it in turn to “Fire Watch” which basically meant two girls would spend the night sleeping on the office floor of the Laundry just in case anything happened to the building. She spoke of the night she was on watch and Abingdon was the target of enemy bombers. Search lights were blazing and the anti-aircraft guns firing. Shippon Church took a hit as did Evelyn road.