Category Archives: club and society

Clubs and Societies Day – 3 of 3

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Clubs and Societies Day
Over in the continental area there was The Abingdon European Society on one side and the Anglo German Society the opther, both of whom have their programmes of lectures and tours and social events
Clubs and Societies Day
Nearby was also the Abingdon and District Twinning Society …
Clubs and Societies Day
who on the 14th May have a special concert to celebrate 40 years of twinning with Lucca. The Italian Soprano Silvana Froli will be singing at the Amey Theatre.
Clubs and Societies Day
A couple of days before that on Saturday the 12th May Abngdon Rugby Football Club are putting on an OctoFest and will be throwing their doors wide open for a fun day, with some Rugby, celebrating 80 years of Rugby at the club.
Clubs and Societies Day
Abingdon Hockey Club were also at the Clubs and Societies Day. Not sure they have a special event but they are looking to welcome new players Now. They have 3 Men’s Teams, 2 Ladies’ Teams and a mixed Team.

Clubs and Societies Day

Finally Dorothy Shaw was there promoting Abingdon Jazz Club at the Kings Head and Bell. 2nd Wed. of the month 8:30pm. Free Entry! On May 9th is The Jazz Gene.

There were lots more groups than that but I only got about half way round before realising what time it was. We had to leave for a family event in Hull. And I’ll be using what I learned from the Morris Dancers stall for the next Abingdon London Link.

Clubs and Societies Day – 2 of 3

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These are some more of the stalls I visited at the Clubs and Societies Day – organised by Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council..
Clubs and Societies Day
The Nasio Trust is a UK based charity that works with AIDS orphans and destitute children in Western Kenya. They also have projects to empower and help young people in our own country. A group of teenagers from Abingdon have been doing their own fundraising events culminating in a trip to an orphanage in Kenya.  They are just back and as well as volunteering to do tasks at the orphanage, they also got to know some of the children they were helping, played football with local teams, and had an amazing life changing experience.
Clubs and Societies Day
Across from them were Amnesty International who were asking people to sign cards such as this one showing our support for people overseas.

Clubs and Societies Day
Near the entrance, The Vale Disability Access Group were there. They campaign for better access to facilities in Abingdon.
Clubs and Societies Day
A more general view of the hall shows Amnesty International, The Nasio Trust , and the Abingdon Marathon organisers in front. Behind them are The Morris Men, Abingdon Film Society, and the Abingdon Hydro Project.
Clubs and Societies Day
Lastly for today ( a few more tomorrow), Abingdon Drama Club‘s next production will be Wife After Death. They have just finished a run of Eugène Ionesco’s play ‘Rhinoceros’ at the Unicorn Theatre. Anybody who went may recognise that the actor manning the stall was The Logician.

Clubs and Societies Day – 1 of 3

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There were lots of stalls and lots of enthusiastic people manning stalls at the Clubs and Societies Day at the Guildhall. It happens every two years. There is enough material to keep me going on this blog for three days …
Clubs and Societies Day
The Good Neighbours scheme, launched last year, offers a service in the community for those in need of help and support. They have volunteers who do lots of things to help neighbours: visiting and befriending, help in the garden, writing letters, changing light bulbs, changing library books etc etc. To get involved email gns.nea at gmail.com or ring 07956 019611.
Clubs and Societies Day
I occasionally get invitations to cover events on the blog, and recently got one from somebody at The Abingdon Horticultural Society – to visit their Spring Show. It was such a busy day I did not get there, but realise that there is still a chance to redeem myself.  The next show is September 1st and it is in the diary.
Clubs and Societies Day
The Smash Badminton Club are looking for players for the season starting in September (aged 7-11). The club was started in 1994 and one of the founding members visited the stall today and was delighted that the club was still going. For information ring Viv at 525838 or email membersec at smash.org.uk.
Clubs and Societies Day
Abingdon Astronomical Society have lots of sessions, including some aimed at beginners. I asked whether there is any star or heavenly body that has an Abingdon association – discovered by a local physicist or astronomer? Anybody know? The chap form the Society will ask his members and I said I’d ask visitors to the blog.

The Strangest Public Right of Way – Abingdon Footpath Number 1

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Abingdon Footpath Number 1
The Vale Path Volunteer group was formed to help clear and improve footpaths in the Vale area. They have undertaken two projects so far.
Abingdon Footpath Number 1
The second project was undertaken on 13th March 2012 and involved a footpath that starts near the electricity substation between Maberley Close and Nash Drive.

A month ago the path was full of vegetation but now it is an easy walk over woodchip between garden fences.  The path follows the path of the old Wilts and Berks canal and so has historical if not aesthetic interest.
Abingdon Footpath Number 1
The path has been completely blocked for a good ten or twelve years and along one section people have extended their gardens – that is until the Vale Path Volunteer group hacked their way through the trees and undergrowth to re-establish the footpath – which they call Abingdon No 1 Footpath.

At one point the filled in remains of Drayton Lock (corrected thanks to Martin) has been partially built over with garden staging. At that point you can no longer follow round on the original path but must either clamber over the concrete base, using the unofficial steps, or go round through gardens.
Abingdon Footpath Number 1
A little further on – beyond the houses and lap fences – is a more complete WWII bunker. The floor is covered with ashes from bundles of free newspapers that never got delivered back in the early 1990s. They were subsequently set alight.
Abingdon Footpath Number 1
The final stretch of this eccentric little footpath, following the path of the old canal, ends up half way along Mill Road. The final section is the most picturesque but will very soon get clogged up by brambles and nettles as May and June follow April.

Most dog walkers just walk through the field alongside, which has become quite permissive over recent years, with it’s own path by the River Ock, but I will walk along Footpath Number 1 once in a while to help keep the path clear. It may not be the most beautiful footpath in Abingdon but it is the strangest. Thanks to the Vale Path Volunteer group for their herculean effort in clearing what I thought had been lost for ever.