There was a changing of the Guard at the Guildhall this evening. Malcolm Hill carried the Mace into the Mayor Making Ceremony for the final time this evening – having held the Office of Honorary Macebearer since 2003.

Nigel Luker became the new Honorary Macebearer and carried the Mace out of the Ceremony.

Malcolm is seen here after the ceremony. He was presented with a certificate by the outgoing Mayor, Angela Lawrence.

Angela gave Mayor’s awards to the chair of governors of the three state secondary schools in Abingdon:
Lynn Fathers – Fitzharrys
Paul Brooks – John Mason
David Lever – Larkmead

Angela commented that the position of school governor is a far more demanding role these days. Governors are held to account for how their school is performing, and need to come to grips with all kinds of data.

Mayor’s Awards were also given to:
Wendy Barratt – Abingdon Breakaway Club,
Dr Tony Gillman – Abingdon, Didcot, and Wantage Talking Newspaper (DAWN)

The incoming Mayor is Helen Pighills,

and her deputy is Alice Badcock.

The new town council also had quite a few different faces.

The old tradition of Wassailing was brought to Abingdon today in Caldecott Meadow.

The event was conceived by the South Abingdon Children’s Centre, and the Abingdon Carbon Cutters. The master of ceremonies came dressed as a Green Man.

Entertainment was provided by The Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, and the Abingdon Music Centre.

On arriving, we were given mulled apple juice – cooked on an open fire.

Inside the Children’s Centre, and on the Abingdon Museum stall outside, there were tables and various implements to make decorations, and rattles for the ceremony.

The Green Man led us in the actual Wassail ceremony.

He said a verse…

Then we all joined in the refrain ”
Wake up! Wake up Oh Apple Tree!
Wake up! We Wassail Thee!”.

The Wassail involved a lot of noise: saucepans were struck and rattles were rattled.

As part of this new-old-tradition we were encouraged to “Cut out Toast Shapes, and dress the Trees“.

Mark Thornton from Mostly Books was interviewing David Mitchell at the Amey Theatre in Abingdon this evening.

David, a very well known actor, comedian, and writer, has put together the best of his writings from his Observer column into a book called “Thinking about it only makes it worse, and other lessons from modern life.” It covers the last 6 years from the banking crisis when Labour was in power through the resulting Con-Dem coalition years.
  
David attended Abingdon School, where he enjoyed debating and theatrical productions, and was very good academically. He spoke with honesty and humour on lots of topics including Private Education and its Charitable Status, The Internet, and Madame Tussauds.

He signed a lot of books.

The queue stretched at one stage  from the stage out  through the foyer.

I agreed totally with what he had to say about Private Schools but not about Madame Tussauds. It is more than just an antiquated wax works,

Over the last week a new flag has been flying over Abingdon County Hall. It was raised on Monday (March 10) and has been there all week.

Abingdon Councillor Mike Badcock, Chairman of the Vale of White Horse District Council, was joined by Cadet Corporal Henry Hart, of Abingdon School Combined Cadet Force, who raised the Commonwealth Flag above County Hall.

The flag raising is part of an initiative to celebrate the Commonwealth, and happened in many districts in the UK, including the Vale of White Horse.