Since 1999, Abingdon Library has encouraged children to participate in the summer reading challenge, keeping children reading during the summer holidays. In 2020 the theme was Silly Squad. In 2021 it was Wild World Challenge. This is the twentieth year, and the theme ‘Gadgeteers’ will spark children’s curiosity about the world around us. For more information visit https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/.

Could I also suggest a writing challenge?

It was so hot at the Monday Market yesterday that many stall holders left early. The meat man went before the meat mutated. The baker left before the bread got toasted. The egg stall left before all the eggs hatched.

The flower stall left before the plants wilted.

Even the card shop left before the cards went white.

If anybody is up for a summer writing challenge, send something interesting about Abingdon to backstreet60@gmail.com.

There are displays and posters promoting the summer reading challenge at Abingdon Library. The theme of ‘Wild World Heroes’ encourages children to read about nature and wildlife during the summer holidays. The challenge runs from July 10th to September 11th for children aged 4 and over.

The wild world window has leaves where children have left their best wild world reads.

If anybody has any books about nature and wildlife that we adults should read then please leave a comment. We want a reading challenge too.

Steve King says that after many hours of research his book has been published. It comprises twelve chapters telling the circumstance of how the 56 men named on Abingdon’s war memorial for WW2 met their untimely end.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, copies will be late in the stores. Mostly Books, Abingdon do have some copies in stock available to deliver. It is also available on Kindle.

Steve also found out about the men buried in Commonwealth War Graves in Abingdon cemeteries who are not mentioned on the memorial. He also found out about two Abingdon heroes who survived the war and the seven Abingdon heroes who died at Dunkirk.

The early May bank holiday in 2020 will move from Monday 4th May to Friday 8th May to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day which takes place on 8th May. That move was made to enable people to pay tribute before Covid-19 became such a threat. Any celebrations are likely to be scaled back, cancelled, or postponed to protect veterans and others.