Thanks to Steve for this

Stanislaw, aka, Rocky was a well known and much respected Polish man who took up residency in Abingdon after the war. It was rumoured that he fought in the Free Polish Air Force during the war and a recent obituary article in the Mail https://m.facebook.com/307SquadronProject/posts/833636720105369 confirms those rumours. The article is about a war hero living in Swansea and who died shortly after his 100th birthday.

In the 60’/70s he owned and ran Top Taxis in Abingdon, and lived on the Marcham Road. Steve says he was an amazing full of life character who lightened every room he entered! I hope the Mail does not mind me borrowing their pictures. If anybody has any of Stanislaw in his Abingdon days, or even Top Taxis, please send to backstreet60@gmail.com.

The funeral service of Janet Morgan was held at St Helen’s Church, Abingdon. The Rev’d Charles Miller would have taken the service but is recovering from illness.

The service was led instead by Rev’d Mary Williamson who said she could tell Janet was well known and loved from the size of the congregation.

The order of service showed pictures of Janet at various stages in her life. There was a lovely picture of Janet and David getting married; another of her rowing in the Lake District, where she had lived during her youth, and often returned for walking tours. On the back cover was a picture of her as Mayor of Abingdon in 1989, and on the front was the face of Janet in her latter years.

The hymns were well known:
To Be a Pilgrim
The Lords my Shepherd
All things bright and beautiful – because of her love of the outdoors
Guide me, O thou great redeemer.

An appreciation of Janet’s life was given by her daughter, Alice Morgan. It told how committed Janet was to family; of her careers, first at Harwell, then teaching; how she loved walking and travelling; and how she became an inspirational local politician: town councillor, Mayor, leader of the Vale district council, and Freeman. She was never defeated in an election. Voters got to know and trust her so well.

The service ended with the organ playing ‘I know that my redeemer liveth‘ from Handel’s Messiah. One had the impression Janet had a strong faith.

Then there was a very long and slow moving queue as people shook hands with family members and shared memories.

Donations were for The Abingdon Bridge (a charity providing counselling and advice for young people in Abingdon that Janet supported from the outset) and Sobell House (a charity providing end of life care and support in Oxfordshire). There is also a just giving page.

Brian Moylan died recently. He worked at MG cars and was very active in the MG car club.

A week ago, Tom Larman, who ran Abingdon Town FC and social club, had a funeral service at Trinity Church.

Near the end of 2016, Alan Bryden died. He was a County Councillor and Town Councillor. You may also recognise him from leading walks round Abingdon.

All three made a big contribution to community life in Abingdon.

Last week there was a service of remembrance for Dr Milward Cecil Hayward – one of the men from Abingdon who died 100 years ago in World War I.

The Grandchildren of Dr Hayward organised the service at St Nicolas Church, with the help of Revd. Paul Smith, and relatives came from far and wide for the event.

Dr Hayward is the founder of the Abingdon Surgery, having set up a practise at 65 Stert Street in 1902.

He volunteered at the start of the Great War, and so left the practise, to join the 3rd Home Counties Field Ambulance . On 11th May 1915, he was hit by a shell on the Menin Road, Ypres, causing damage to his spine and lungs. He subsequently died of pneumonia on August 23rd 1916, and is buried at Abingdon Spring Road Cemetery. The epitaph on his grave has the words of Jesus “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”