Author Archives: Backstreeter

Poppy Dispatch Central at Spring Road

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Poppy Dispatch Central at Spring Road
This year’s poppy appeal begins on October 29. The poppy production line has been busy at the Abingdon Royal British Legion in preparation.
Poppy Dispatch Central at Spring Road
There will also be enamel badges this year remembering 100 years since the Somme. Of the many names on the Abingdon War Memorial here is just one … ‘Heber John Hosier, DCM., 10, Thames Street, 8th Royal Berks (killed on the Somme, September 3 1916)’

Last year £40,000 was raised for the appeal in Abingdon. The Mayor is one of the collectors this year and will be doing stints in Tesco and the town centre. There will also be veterans and cadets selling poppies.

Late Flowers at St Helens

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Late Blooms
Whoever tends the garden in front of St Helen’s Church Office deserves an Abingdon in Bloom award for keeping such a variety of flowers blooming from spring until to autumn. Walking past there a few days ago there were what we think are Black Eyed Susan.
Late Blooms
Evening Primroses
Late Blooms
Michaelmas Daisies
Late Blooms
and orange berries.

Our little runaway

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Our little runaway
There seemed to be more rides this year – than last year – at the runaway fair.
Our little runaway
The weather has been good. So hopefully the show people and the punters had a good afternoon and evening.
Our little runaway
With the road closure, it is funny seeing buses unload their passengers at strange places like the Kings Head and Bell. And it’s funny to see the upper deck of double deckers sail by our 1st floor window.

It only happens when
She comes again.
Our little runaway,
run, run, run, runaway.

The Abingdon “Runaway” Fair – a little history thanks to the Reading Mercury

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football teams
These days, children’s rides are the main feature of the Runaway Fair that runs on the Monday of the week after the Michaelmas Fair.

In days of old the Michaelmas and Runaway fairs were both hiring fairs. As late as 1884 the Reading Mercury noted there was still some hiring activity at the Abingdon Runaway Fair.
Runaway Fair

In 1888, the same paper reported that during the “runaway” fair a 71 year old man from Ock Street was killed by a runaway driver.
Runaway Fair

We read in the same paper in 1897 that little hiring was noticeable, but country people came into town for Michaelmas purchases, and for a fair on the Market Place.
Runaway Fair