Horse manure in the middle of Lombard Street?

Not every horse came in a horse box. Some trotted in from Drayton and maybe even further.

The Abingdon Show was started in 1974 by local clubs. For the last two years the event has been run by the Berkshire Downs Riding Club.

I would guess there were three hundred horses there. Large ones…

and small ones. It all took place at Rye Farm Meadow beside the River Thames in Abingdon.

West St Helen’s Street to the left, and East St Helen’s Street to the right.

Going round anti-clockwise…

Diagonally from bottom left to top right: Twitty’s Almshouses, St Helen’s Court, and the Brewery Development.

Going round… The almshouses are having their roofs done in the foreground, Caldecott, and the Vale of the White Horse beyond.

and Round… The River Thames with boats at the free mooring, and the countryside of South Oxfordshire (not the Vale) beyond.

Almost full circle as continuing anti-clockwise round the tower: East St Helen’s Street comes back into view, with its gardens stretching to the River.

There was a wedding round about midday today. From up in the belltower the bellringers waited for the final anthem to begin their peal. The method, called Grandsire, is shown above.

These are just some of the bells in St Helen’s Bell tower. They are quieter than they used to be – and well insulated during the recent rehanging. They are only two years old.

Down below are the bell ringers, a very commited and dedicated group. The men tend to ring the larger bells on the north side.

and the ladies the smaller bells on the south. The lady second from left has been ringing since she was a girl in 1953.

The large pendulum of St Helen’s clock can be seen above them, marking time.

To learn more visit Abingdon Bellringers.

A couple of days back we had the Fire Engines.

The next morning a booklet was delivered: Fire Safety in The Home, with a letter signed by the Vale Area Fire Risk Manager“As you are probably aware, a home in your area has recently suffered a fire… You and you family are twelve times more likely to survive a fire in your home if you have a correctly sited smoke alarm, have an escape plan, and know how to call the Fire Brigade…””