Thanks to Sven for this …
The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon hosted a Donald Trump presidential campaign event.
Mr Trump was reported by the Herald Courier as saying that “Coal mining jobs have been taken away and we need to bring them back.”
The Oxfordshire County Council cuts to the town’s subsidised bus services will happen in the next two weeks. This will make it more difficult for elderly people, without their own transport, to get into town and to the community hospital. Most effected are villages, and areas in North Abingdon away from the Oxford Road. I was approached by one elderly person yesterday in town who felt very angry about the cuts, and said that they, and others they know, will feel more isolated.
Cutting bus subsidies is being done because of cuts to local government finances imposed by central government with the aim of having a budget surplus by 2020, a target that the chancellor of the exchequer has had to abandon after the Brexit vote.
The world arrived in a wheelchair having had a difficult week, but this event at St Ethelwold’s called ‘A Celebration of Summer’ tried to put that right.
There were songs of Peace and Social Justice by the Seagreen Singers
and circle dancing as people sat out on the lawn at St Ethelwold’s House enjoying the music, the tea and cakes.
This was followed by a time in the Sanctuary listening to the words of some of the great teachers of this world. By the end of the afternoon we hope the world is feeling more resilient and able to cope with whatever next week brings.
Both the Sun and Mirror had different ideas of what might follow a vote to leave the EU. Most of the Tabloids (Sun, Mail, Express, Star) have sided with the Leave side throughout the campaign. Only the Daily Mirror has been on the Remain Side.
Polling Stations were kept fairly busy here in Abingdon, as we put our cross on the voting paper: Leave or Remain in the EU.
Meanwhile, on the eve of the apocalypse, there was the official reopening of the Old Anchor Inn, at St Helen’s Wharf in Abingdon.
There was a warm atmosphere. The bar has been redecorated and looks bright. Bar staff brought round canapes. Good luck to them.