Last night there were three quizzes I knew about in the town centre. There was the special Mayor of Abingdon’s Charity Quiz Evening.
There was a Quiz and Auction at this venue which raised hundreds of pounds for Children in Need. There will also be a hot dog eating competition at 8:30 tonight and raffle – also for Children in Need.
And there was the usual Thursday night quiz starting at 9 PM at this recently refurbished venue by the Rover Thames.
Name the venues …
Mike Scholes, from Haywards Heath Harriers, aged 58 and nearly blind, ran 3 hrs 13 in the marathon today. Here he is going down East St Helen Street with his guide.
Then along St Helen’s Wharf. Thumbs up to the camera from 483 (I think) Richard Stones of Black Country Triathletes, who finished in 4 hrs 14 with 782 Darren Gillman of Spa Striders who finished in 3 hrs 39.
Mick n Phil Marathon Lads were running as they do most years. They are easy to recognise. Visit their website to find out more.
First time we have been honoured with a Roman Emporer running the Abingdon Marathon. 1174 is Julius Ceasar I believe.
These youngsters were offering cakes.
Amber Phillpott lost her battle with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia at just 18 months old. James Phillpott (Ambers father), and good friend Justin Marah were running the marathon to raise money for Leukaemia & Lymphona Research. They both did it in 5 hrs 44. Near the bottom of Preston Road there was a lively garden party, with family and friends – and cakes on offer. I must see if I have any pictures of James and Justin (83 and 1123)
There were a lot of marshalls on duty doing a fantastic job. The Marathon was complicated by the Runaway Fair being set up at the same time. The start time was brought forward to 8:45 as a result.
Helen saw this deer as she came out of her house earlier in the week in the Northcourt area of Abingdon.
A little way behind the fence and ivy is the Boundary House Public House. The deer was startled and ran. Deer and modern traffic don’t mix well so I hope it got home OK.
Deer were better suited to the lower speed days of the stagecoach. Elizabeth sent me this picture of a stagecoach passing down East St Helen Street earlier in the week (on the 11th during the Abingdon Street Fair detour).
Two horse-drawn stagecoaches set out on a 113-mile journey from Windsor Castle to Warwick this week and are currently at Kineton. They stayed at Henley, Dorchester-on-Thames, Stanton Harcourt, Hook Norton and Kineton on the way. Not many Public Houses can cater for a stagecoach and four these days, but I dare say the old coach houses of the Kings Head and Bell and the Crown and Thistle, in Abingdon, would have give them a good place to rest over.
The stagecoaches were raising money for Help for Heroes and The Household Cavalry Operational Casualties Fund.
The scaffolding – in place since Easter – has been removed from 30-32 Stert Street and once again it’s easy to see and get inside the Oxfam shop.
Although the cleaning of the lower part of the building is still to do, the upper part of the building looks transformed after renovation and cleaning.