Oxfam opened their first Abingdon shop in the High Street in 1969. They have been in their current Stert Street shop for over thirty years, after moving from over the road. They would be glad to hear from anybody who has volunteered at any of the three shops to arrange a reunion.
An alternative to the Boundary Walk was the Christian Aid walk from which Jane sent pictures. The sponsored walk started from the Peachcroft Christian Centre, and was well attended. Walkers could either get sponsors before the event or simply turn up and make a donation.
The walk took a route through Sunningwell, and Boars Hill, with refreshments at Bayworth Baptist chapel, and then back to North Abingdon.
I don’t know why Barnardo’s don’t get a mention on the information boards, but I have read that in 1974 Bardardo’s gave a strip of land at the town end to Abingdon Town Council to help create the Ock Valley Walk. The Vale District Council owned the adjoining land which allowed the footpath we now know from St Helen’s Court to Drayton Road.
Caldecott House was a Dr Barnardo’s home, housing about 35 boys and girls between 1952 and 1971, and about 35 boys from 1945 to 1952 so the strip of land was left over after the sale of the house, which was demolished to create the St Amand Drive Estate.
Barnardo’s still have a Charity Shop in Abingdon at Peachcroft; and run after school and holiday clubs at Kingfisher School. They could also still run the Summerfield Resource Centre on the Wootton Road.
After a couple of months of being closed the Children’s Air Ambulance shop has reopened with a new manager.
So they have a sale to get the stock moving and then who knows what. The sky is the limit.
The Children’s Air Ambulance is now operational from Oxford since Monday 17 September 2018.