The Friends of Abbey Meadow Outdoor Pool are holding their AGM in the King Charles Room at the King’s Head & Bell, East St. Helen St, Abingdon on Wednesday 9th November 2016 at 7.30 pm.

The short business meeting will be followed by Guest Speaker, Sarah Thelwall. Sarah is passionate about outdoor swimming and is currently working her way round all the lidos in the UK of which there are thought to be 130. So far she has swum in 85 pools in the last four summers, Abbey Meadow Pool being one of them!

She has been analysing the business models of lidos, so she can talk knowledgeably about what makes a successful outdoor pool.

Anyone interested in the future of the outdoor pool is welcome.

The bar will be open in the King Charles Room at 7 pm for half-an-hour before the beginning of the meeting. Website: www.abingdonoutdoorpool.org.uk.

This year’s poppy appeal begins on October 29. The poppy production line has been busy at the Abingdon Royal British Legion in preparation.

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.

Yesterday, at St Helen’s Church Centre, the Abingdon Community Hospital League of Friends held a coffee morning and jumble sale, and raised over £300 to help buy equipment to help patients.

They also have a raffle to be drawn on November 5th at their AGM at the Charter Day Centre 10:30-12:30 .
1st Prize – Miele Vacuum Cleaner
2nd Prize – Quality Electric Keyboard
3rd Prize – Restaurant Meals for two … and many more smaller prizes.

You can also support them by becoming a member at only £5 a year. They will be in the Community Freespace in Bury Street sometime in October.

Next week at the Freespace are the Carbon Cutters with apple pressing.

There was a party in the carpark of Abingdon Baptist Church this afternoon with a hog roast and balloons.

It followed a special service in the church building where old friends returned to Abingdon to join in celebrating the 20th Anniversary of 35 Ock Street – next door.

35 Ock Street was built as a timber framed house in the early 17th Century, and so is older than those twenty years.

From around 1700 it became the manse where the Baptist Minister lived, with a Georgian facade added towards the end of the 18th Century.

During the late 20th Century, after the Minister moved to a manse elsewhere in Abingdon, 35 Ock Street was scheduled for demolition to create modern offices. But because of its listed building status the old rickety building survived, and after a lot of fundraising it was renovated and re-opened in 1996 as a cafe and community centre serving the town centre .

Twenty Years On , it still runs as a cafe, and community centre. And today there was free coffee and tea.