At the White Horse Leisure Centre this weekend there are people taking part in a sponsored Swimathon to raise money for Marie Curie cancer care, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.
Most of the participants are talented young swimmers, either swimming in teams, or doing an individual distance. There are also adults of varying abilities,
I went along, and swam my target distance, despite swallowing half the pool. Thanks to people who sponsored me!
Thanks to Derek for the Oxfam pictures …
The district manager of Oxfam started off in Banbury and cycled round all the Oxfam shops in his patch for Red Nose Day. He can be recognised by the cyclist outfit.
The staff of Oxfam in Abingdon all entered into spirit of the day which involves making people laugh then asking them for their money.
Since starting about 25 years ago Red Nose Day has raised over a billion pounds for charity.
Elsewhere in town Stevo, The Accousic Jukebox, was playing requests from Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Tom Waites and others songsmiths not usually known for their comic touch.
The Abingdon Baptist Scout’s Jumble Sale began with a queue at the door at 9am, and by the time I got there at 10:30 a lot of the best things had gone.
There were still some interesting books – such as an old edition of the The Book of Woodcraft and Indian Lore by Ernest Thompson Seton written in 1912 and full of illustrations.
The church’s redevelopment project is still being planned but they are not allowed to expand by removing or moving some of their existing walls. The classical facade, that most of us see, was added decades after the original building, which has red and blue brick on a rubble base – whose craftsmanship is of historical interest.
In the cafe at 35 Ock Street, adjoining the church, there is an exhibition of photographs by retired professional photographer Derek Banister.
At 35 Ock Street, there is also an outpost of the St Andrews Christian bookshop – based in St Clements, Oxford and run by the son of the Revd Michael Hambleton – a previous minister at the Baptist church. If you want to pay by card they connect you over the phone to the main shop and take your card details.
Action for Children in Conflict has four Oxfordshire shops that raise money to help support street children, and vulnerable children, in an area called Thika in Kenya. The charity has been operating since 2003.
The Abingdom shop has recently undergone a transformation as new management looks to attract more customers, and so help raise more funds to help those children in need of a good education.