On Boxing Day, in days gone by, the Old Berks Hunt would sometimes meet on the Market Place in Abingdon. Nowadays the horses have been replaced by MG Cars, and the ride is around the lanes of Oxfordshire, not Berkshire, to give the cars a winter run.

Before the off there is a chance to look under the covers of the MGs. Combustion engines may have replaced horses but their mechanical power is still measured in horse power.

The chrome and paintwork need a good polish, as did the horse brasses.

Before the off there is the chance for people to chat about the idiosyncrasies of their rides, and to have a warming drink from one of the coffee houses that do so well in Abingdon, round the Market Place.

Youngsters may recall, in years to come, seeing the Old Boxing Day MG gathering on the Market Place.

Unlike the Old Berks Hunt, where the horses and hounds left in a pack, the MGs leave in ones and twos to follow the Boxing Day route. In 2017 it ended at The Black Horse at Gozzards Ford.

The date is June 19th 1700. A line has been drawn in the dust of the Vineyard alongside the brewery. Another line has been drawn at the top of Ock Street near the Square. The people of Abingdon have just enjoyed ox roasted on the Market Place. A famous battle then ensued between the men of the Vineyard and the men of Ock Street for the ox. The combat was fierce as each side fought to bring the ox over their own line. Legend has it that the Vineyard men had nearly succeeded when a man named Hemmings crashed an apple wood cudgel on the head of a Vineyard opponent, cut the ox head from the carcass with a sword, and made it back to the Ock Street Line.

Those same horns were on display again 317 years later on a glorious Saturday in 2017 – the nearest Saturday to the original June 19th, when there is a day of morris dancing.

The president of the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers is still a Hemmings, namely Mr Ewart Hemmings. His Uncle was the famous Mayor of Ock Street, Tom Hemmings, and his Grandfather was Henry Hemmings – also Mayor of Ock Street.

The Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, with a visiting team from Oxford, danced at many venues along Ock Street and in the town centre, including a new stop outside the Broad Face.

After dancing round a tree planted in honour of former bagman, Tony Russell, at the almshouses,

they went to another new stop where free beer was provided by Pam, and danced there too.

Meanwhile the poll to elect the 2017 Mayor of Ock Street was taking part all day. All people living or working down Ock Street have a vote.

The count took place at the Brewery Tap, officiated over by the Town Clerk, the Mayor of Abingdon, and Mr Ewart Hemmings.

Roger Cox graciously conceded to Harry Knight who had got double the amount of votes – 61 to 122 . Roger will continue in the role of the fool for the next year, having been Mayor every year from 2007 and 2013.

The Mayor of Abingdon, Cllr Jan Morter, presented the Mayor of Ock Street with the sash of office, sword, top hat, and the applewood bowl, whose wood dealt the legendary blow in 1700.

Mr Harry Knight was then carried in honour down Ock Street by his men. He has been elected in 2014, 2016, and 2017.

At Dalton Barracks airfield this evening there was a funfair and bonfire.

The warmth from the fire did help keep people from getting too cold in the wait for the fireworks.

We remembered again in 2016 Guy Fawkes’ failed gunpowder plot against James I in 1605. In celebration of his survival, James ordered that we should have a great bonfire on the night of November 5th.

Thank you to the army for providing this evening’s entertainment with the funfair, blazing bonfire and fabulous fireworks.

There is an old Abingdon custom of throwing buns from the County Hall. Its origin is obscure, but it has been in its present form since the coronation of George III in 1761. The bun throwing is performed by the Mayor and town council who, in their robes of office, climb to the roof of the County Hall and throw buns to people assembled in the Market Place beneath. The buns are rather like hot cross buns where the cross is replaced by letters or numbers designating the cause for celebration. The example above shows PR for the visit of the Princess Royal in 2006.

Throwing small cakes for ceremonial reasons was not uncommon in late Medieval England. On a Tudor History web page, one entry says “On Palm Sunday the boys of Chippenham in Wiltshire, like those of other parishes, climbed onto the church roof to throw small cakes to the crowd below. In 1507, Palm Sunday fell on 28 March. At Chippenham Francis Gore and Nicholas Hulkebere were not among the boys sitting on the roof of the south aisle, but on the ground with those taking part in the church procession and scrambling to collect the cakes. Disastrously it was not only the cakes that came down from the roof. Two large stones fell on top of them and crushed them.”

A modern day DJ, Steve Aoki, has also made it part of his act to throw cakes at his audience as part of his show. He showers those below with ‘cake love’ as he calls it. The instream video shows a guy in a wheelchair catching some of the ‘cake love’ …

In June 2016 Abingdon will hold a ceremonial bun throwing to celebrate the 90th birthday of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Nearby Wantage will also hold a public cake throwing against two councillors who have been derelict in their duty. Wantage is the birthplace of King Alfred who, being preoccupied with the problems of running an ancient kingdom, accidentally let some cakes burn, and was scolded by a woman who had entrusted the task to him. Accordingly the Mayor and town councillors of the town of Wantage have an ancient tradition of throwing burnt cakes at any of their members who have failed to keep their eyes on the task in hand.