Brian has an appeal for help for people to help run the Abingdon Aunt Sally League. He says …

I draw your attention to an immediate crisis facing the Abingdon Aunt Sally League where following their recent A.G.M. the very existence of the League is in question following the resignations of several Committee members.

Whilst I appreciate that Aunt Sally is not for everyone, in the Abingdon League last season there were 65 teams ( Pubs or Clubs) that registered and approximately 800 players that had an interest in the game.

For anyone interested the current League address is to be found at abingdonauntsally.com and for anyone wishing to learn the origins of the League Basil Collins a founder member, who is still with us today, writes …

‘As Licensee of the ‘Black Swan’ Abingdon during early February 1960 my interest regarding pub sports was 100% participating in playing darts, when one Saturday morning two customers came into the bar, whom I knew later to be a Sid Green and Ron Farrell, purchased drinks and making general conversation about pub activities, asked me if I would be interested in forming an Aunt Sally League, to which I replied, “What the hell is Aunt Sally?”

Read on … abingdonauntsally.com/history/the-first-30-years

The World Pooh Sticks Championship have been held a few miles downstream from Abingdon, at Day’s Lock, since 1983. The competition has grown and the organisers are looking for a new home. They require: a bridge with room for six competitors; over a river with a moderate flow at all times; where there is no risk of hitting passing boats. The site also needs nearby parking for over 300 vehicles, and room for side entertainments.

At Abingdon Bridge there is plenty of room for parking and side entertainments, and the flow is moderate. The main objection might be that competitors would have to cross a busy road to see their sticks re-emerge the other side.

We play pooh sticks on the River Ock near Abingdon town centre.

But the current here is too extreme for a world championship. Sticks plummet over a weir and can get caught in the back tow.

But if anybody does know of a good venue in Abingdon, or way round these problems, please let the Bring Pooh Sticks to Abingdon in 2015 campaigners know. It would be very good if this event could come to Abingdon.

(Pooh Sticks was invented by A.A Milne for his son Christopher Robin – named after his son’s bear Winnie-The-Pooh. The game requires contestants to drop a stick from a bridge into a river. The competitive element is seeing whose stick crosses the finishing line first.)

There was a report in the Herald about last Thursday at the open air pool when the weather was hot and the open air pool was advertised as being open, and it did not open. People went away disgruntled. The Headline said “Pool Management Branded Shambles”. This Thursday the pool did open from 6-8pm. Photography is not allowed for obvious reasons.

And swimwear must be worn at all times.

But I may get away with one picture of the first swimmer in the pool as it is more froth than flesh.

The session was very popular. It began with a few adults swimming up and down. Then quite a few children started diving in from the deep end. More adults joined in swimming up and down, including one lady who was a little disabled. We were asked by a lifeguard to keep a small area near the side free for her. Children started playing on inflatables in the shallower area. Probably about 30 people were there in all. So a good turnout for an evening swim on a milder evening, and very well managed.