We were very pleased to be visited today in Abingdon by the National Youth Folklore Troupe of England, a group of young people from all over the country who share an interest in traditional folk music, song and dance. They performed two one hour sessions on the Market Place.
It is good to see young people getting an early interest in Folk.
The little boy watching was also enthralled. He kept trying to copy with his drinking straw.
Today saw the third free Yeah Baby charity music festival – Abingdon’s Glastonbury.
All through the day there was entertainment, bands, stalls, facepainting, playbus, raffles …
It made the town a fun place to be. There were people going round with buckets collecting for the Yeah Baby charities. The music and fun carries on this evening at the Brewery Tap.
It was good to see our friends from Sint Niklaas – the Boerke Naas – here in Abingdon for the election of the Mayor of Ock Street.
Lesley Argyle a former Mayor of Ock Street was also there for the day.
Todays candidates were Rob Beaver who has been dancing since age 8. His dad and brother dance alongside.
Also up for the election were Roger Cox who has been Mayor since 2007. His great uncle was Mayor in 1896. And on the ballet paper was Harry Knight who came very close last year to winning. He was lead dancer in the 1970s when the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers won the Europa Prize for Folk Art at the Albert Hall.
Here is Isabel demonstrating how to vote.
At 4 PM the papers were counted in the back room of the Brewery Tap. They let a few of us photographers in at the start but asked us to leave before it got really exciting.
Stuart Jackson was the returning officer this year, and he announced the results.
Congratulations to the Mayor of Ock Street.
It had been too windy for the Boerke Naas to do much flag throwing on the Market Place at lunch time but they got to do some as the Mayor was paraded up and down Ock Street. The nearest flag is, of course, Abingdon’s.
As to Rob Beaver, the disappointment may have been a little too much for him and it looks like he might be off to join the Boerke Naas. The beer is very good in Belgium.
The Mayor did not attend.
There was song and dance on the Market Place by the Performing Arts Department of Abingdon & Witney College. In the previous two years this event carried on despite heavy rain, and this year there was a wind that took two people to hold the pianist’s music down. What a real character building event this is.
The students will be presenting the musical ‘Into The Woods‘ from 14th – 17th June. Tickets £8 and £5. Tickets from Abingdon Campus reception and it is to be performed INSIDE at the college theatre.