Category Archives: ceremony

Blessing of the Waters of the River Thames

This morning St Helen’s Church began their 10:30 am service on St Helen’s Wharf. The service was the “Blessing of the Waters & festival of the Baptism of Christ”. The Blessing of the waters is an ancient tradition but this could be the first time it has been done beside the River Thames in Abingdon.

The service began with the congregation gathered on the wharf. They were then joined by the officiants and choir processing with the cross.

The Rector then greeted everybody… “Dear Friends in Christ, we gather today to celebrate the Baptism of Christ…”
Blessing of the Waters
After a hymn, some prayers, and bible readings, water was brought up from the River Thames and poured into the holy water bucket and then carried back to the church for the rest of the service.

The fallen leaves

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Fallen Leaves
Yesterday, in the Abbey Gardens, I saw the men with leaf blowers, and the machine with the leaf blowing attachment, blowing all the leaves into a trail that could be gathered up.

It seems almost like a harvest but there is really no end result – leaves are composted and cannot really be called a harvest. They need clearing away.
Fallen Leaves
When I was young we raked up leaves to burn on the November 5th Bonfire and that marked for me an important turning point of the year.

Morris Men and Maypole dancers welcome in the spring but are absent at this time of year.

Instead we remember Guy Fawkes with fireworks and have Remembrance Day parades. Such ceremonies fit in better with the fallen leaves. The fallen leaves do bring with them a sense of loss.

Janet Morgan given the Freedom of Abingdon

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Janet Morgan was given the Freedom of the Town of Abingdon in a special ceremony this morning. She is a past Mayor who during her year as Mayor, 1988, started up the Clubs and Societies Day – which is still running. Next one will be April 21st.

She was a town councillor starting in 1983, district councillor starting in 1987 and ending in 2011 (and leader of the council from 1995-97 during which time she helped set up the youth forum), and county councillor (and Lib-Dem education spokesman for several years). As an ex-teacher she has been a governor at 3 schools and still is actively involved at John Mason. She joins a small select group of men who have been given the Freedom of the Town, the highest civic honour the town has to offer.