Category Archives: Market Place

Football, Drumming, and Football

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Oxford Flags
Everybody is eagerly awaiting the Oxford United game tomorrow at Wembley. They play York in the play-off final to see if they can get back in the football league. So many people are going to Wembley from Abingdon it could be like a ghost town, and there were commemorative scarves and hats on sale in town today.
Drumming Workshop
There was also a drumming workshop on the Market Place at around lunchtime. The enthusiasm of the lead drummer got a huge circle of people involved. Great fun!
Teams at South Town Park
And down at Southern Town Park a big football tournament was taking place. Hosted by Abingdon Youth Football Club, it had teams as young as six who swarmed round the ball, and then competitions for every year group up to age 14.

There are about one hundred teams involved over the two days of the weekend. This is down a bit on what it could have been. The Oxford game tomorrow is keeping some away.

Cecil Sharp Centenary Day of Dance

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Mr Hemmings Abingdon Traditional Morris dancers
Mr Hemmings Abingdon Traditional Morris dancers, danced at many pubs round Abingdon, and even some ex-pubs like this one – which was once The Happy Dick Inn in Ock Street.

This annual day of dance was to celebrate Cecil Sharp who worked at the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th ecntury, collecting dances, and keeping the old morris dancing tradition alive. He visited Abingdon one hundred years ago.
One of the Armaleggan Morris Morris dancers
The Mr Hemmings group were accompanied by 7 other groups. This colourful Oxfordshire group, called Armaleggan Morris, dance in the borders style with blacked faces and tattered clothes and energetic stick hitting. They are at the Kings Head and bell.

Belly dancing, by Hazzaz, in the Carpark of the Cross Keys pub.

Mayflower Morris clog dancing at the front of the Cross Keys.

Then at 2 pm all the groups got together to dance on the Market Place.

Les Badcock, the bagman of the Mr Hemmings group, led the dance.

May Day

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Abingdon Traditional Morris Men
Some members of the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers had been in Oxford first thing to welcome in the May. Then they came back to Abingdon to perform at the ‘International Dance Day’.

If you missed them, then their rival group – Mr Hemming’s Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers – will be dancing round town next Saturday.
The Mayor and Marianne Milburne
Marianne, in the green top next to the Mayor, organised today’s dance event, and as so often happens she also came up with good weather. Rain was forecast I believe.
Larkmead Dancer
There was supposed to be a group from Larkmead School, but their teacher and choreographer got stuck in Iceland and so they did not have time to practise, so one girl performed her own choreographed dance.
Nicola Blackwood
The election is next Thursday and I met a few people campaigning. Nicola Blackwood was there giving out blue balloons and meeting shoppers….
Dr Evan Harris
Dr Evan Harris was in the town centre. He watched the dancing for a few minutes before going to canvass the town centre streets.
Ceroc
Back to the dancing… Ceroc Taxi Dancers were helping people from the audience to try out a few steps.
Irish Dancers
Some Irish Dancers, who practice in Didcot, tapped, jigged and twirled.
Belly Dancers
Ashnah, the Abingdon based middle eastern belly dancers, looks stunning in their new outfits.
Belly Dancers
And the Scottish Dancers did some reels, jigs, and strathspeys with Abingdon’s very own super hero watching on.
James and Sisters
Lastly James and his sisters – twins. They are so often there at Market Place events.

Market Place Events – 2010

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Abbey Brass Band with audience
The Abbey Brass Band were performing in the sunshine as Market Place events started for the third year since the Market Place refurbishment was completed. Abbey Brass Band with Trumpet Soloist Standing and English Flag from Saint Georges Day behind A list of coming Saturday events in on the Town Council Website . Next Saturday is International Dance Day. The Abingdon Air and Country Show Stall on the Market Place Also coming next weekend is one of the biggest event in the Abingdon Calendar – the Abingdon Air & Country Show at the Dalton Barracks airfield. The Show’s Twitter said yesterday ‘Show going ahead despite recent Volcanic disruptions.’ They have a F16 and a C17 coming – if that means anything to you.