There was a notice to say that the Open Day at the Abbey Buildings had been postponed as Covid restrictions have not been lifted yet.

In Abbey Close there was an old London bus, parked there for a wedding. Some wedding rules have recently changed. Covid regulations have only allowed up to 30 people for some time. Now the headcount depends on how many people the venue can safely accommodate.

The bus brings back memories of holding on to a handrail on the open platform, waiting to get off. There would be the ding ding of the bell as the conductor let the driver know they could set off. Then the conductor would make the rounds to find the people who had just got on calling ‘Tickets Please’. The conductor would sell you a ticket off a rack and punch it; and if they did not get round to you, on a short ride on a busy day, it meant a free ride whether you wanted it or not.

4th June 1921

The Abingdon Comrades of the Great War have received a grant from the United Service Fund for the promotion of indoor and outdoor recreation, and a sum of £89 now in hand.

On Saturday the Abingdon Town Cricket Club lost to the Abingdon Grammar School, the scores being School 122, Town 84. Two excellent catches at long off were made by Smeeth, and Eason, Bevan and MacFarlane scored 34, 29 and 22 respectively, while Bradfield for the town batted extremely well, fixing up a score of 44.

From the proceeds of the North Berks Charity Cup Competition the sum of £3 3s has been given to the Abingdon Cottage Hospital; £2 2s to the Abingdon Sanitorium; £1 11s 6d to Didcot and East Hagbourne Nursing Associations, besides donations to other charities.

The Abingdon Bowling Club on Thursday met the Wantage Club on the Abingdon Park Green, Abingdon winning with an aggregate of 83 against 70.

The Board of Guardians of the Union (workhouse) last week accepted the tenders of Messrs Goodley Exors, for bread at 10d the 4lb, loaf, and 35s per 140 lbs. of flour.

The Abingdon Gas Company are fixing the street lamps with inverted burners free of cost to the Corporation.
11th June 1921

The work of erecting the Abingdon Church Hall is to be commenced forthwith as far as the funds in hand will admit, the sum now being £1,200.

At Abingdon Borough Court, before the Mayor and Councillor H. C. Clarke. — Frederick William May, farmer, and Vera May, both of Caldecot Farm, Abingdon, were each fined 7s 6d for riding cycles without lights in the Vineyard, Abingdon.

The Abingdon Bowling Club met East Oxford on the Park Green on Saturday last, and lost by 18 points.

A substantial cheque, subscribed for by churchpeople and others in the town towards defraying the expenses of the Vicar’s serious illness at the Ackland Home, Oxford, has been presented to him by the Churchwardens. The Vicar in acknowledging the gift says, ‘There will, I know, be some interval before I am able to minister in the parish again.’

A memorial tablet has been placed in St. Helen’s Church, and dedicated after morning service, in memory of the late Major General Bailie, of Caldecott House, Abingdon, and his son, Major Douglas Bailie, who was killed in the War.

The Abingdon Branch of the Mothers’ Union were unable to hold their intended meeting at Clock House, Abingdon, on Wednesday last week, in consequence of unpropitious weather, and the meeting was therefore held in the Church Rooms, where lady Dashwood presided and Mrs d’Almaine gave an address.

The committee of the Abingdon and District celebration of Alexandra Day are arranging a very interesting programme of events for the day’s celebration at Abingdon on Saturday, June 11th.

Berks County Scholarships at Roysse’s School, Abingdon, were awarded to Cyril Lay (Abingdon Church Schools) and Norman Banes and Cyril Steff (Abingdon Council Schools).
18th June 1921

At the Cattle Market, on Monday last, the price per cwt. for fat beasts was an average of £5. The supplies of sheep included 194 fat and store sheep. Pigs were somewhat scarcer, 68, mostly stores, being penned.

The house-to-house collection for the month of May in Abingdon for the Radcliffe Infirmary and Abingdon Community Hospital amounted to £48 14s 6d.

The fete recently held in aid of the Abingdon Girl’s Club, in Stratton House Grounds, realised over £100.

A serious accident befell a school boy named William Mercer, aged 7 years, attending the Roman Catholic School in Abingdon. He was running down a bank on the side of the road when a motor car was passing, and he ran into the car, and was struck with the right wing of the car. The lad sustained concussion and a fractured leg and was taken to the Cottage Hospital.
25th June 1921

Abingdon June Fair was held in the Market Place Monday last, when there was a fair amount of the usual paraphernalia. In the evening the fair was crowded, and was kept going till 11 p.m.

The retirement has just taken place of Mr Shem Main, who for many years has been the guard on the passenger service of the Abingdon Branch of the G.W.R, He has been in the Company’s service for 47 years, entering it at Bristol as porter in 1874, afterwards going to Devizes, etc, coming to Abingdon about 20 years ago. He has the best wishes of his fellow servants and many friends.

In a gents’ doubles at tennis last Thursday, between the newly formed Crescent Club, using the Park Courts, and the Pavlova Club the former were the victors by 60 to 48.

The first Y.M.C.A annual sports and fete took place last Saturday at Dunmore Meadow, Wootton Road, when the attendance was very large. The Great Western Swindon Band was judged by all as giving a most excellent programme of music. Dancing was under the M.C. Mr F.B. Rowlinson. The weather, though cloudy, kept fine, and the gate receipts amounted to £50. A guessing the cake competition brought in £3 11s 0d. The roundabouts and swings provided the junior element with entertainment. The challenge cup, given to the Athletics Club by the late Mr R. Cocks, was competed for, and won by P.R. Broad. Many of the competitors in the racing came from Oxford, Didcot Dept., and Wantage.

The results were:

Princess Louise, who had been announced to perform the opening ceremony was unable to be present, and the Mayor (Councillor W.R Langford) undertook the duty.

Thank you for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette on the British Newspaper Archive. Pictures came from the Abingdon Directory from the 1920s.

P.S: A sitting of the Oxford Bankruptcy Court for Katharine Fanny Frost who carried on business at 20 Market Place, Abingdon, as ‘Helen Benson – Costumier and Milliner.’

Katharine said, ‘I set up in business in Abingdon with a capital of £1,000. I took the shop in Abingdon because I could not get one in Oxford, near which city I wished to be. I had had no experience of the business I opened in Abingdon, and did so on the assurance that there was a good opening there. I engaged a Miss Bennett to help me and she ran the business for a month, for which she received six months’ salary in advance, amounting to £117. Following a disagreement, I gave Miss Bennet £50, because I was afraid that Miss Bennett would take action against me.’

The Official Receiver said, ‘I think there is an expression in the correspondence with this manageress in which she says you have no capacity for business at all. That is about it, is it not’

Katharine said ‘Yes.’

The Official Receiver then said ‘You kept no books, and muddled the money away.’

Katharine said ‘ I drew on my capital from time to time, but did so in the hope that I would be able to earn money before it was all gone.’

The Official Receiver said ‘It took you a year to find out that if you buy at £5 and sell at £2 10s the end will be disaster. It took you a whole year to find it out?’

Katharine said, ‘I knew I was losing, but I thought I should be able to make it again.’…

Thomas is organising a an illustrated talk by Ivan Cadge on the history of the Abingdon branch line with all proceeds going to NHS charities. The talk is on the 5th of June at 4pm. Tickets are available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/abingdon-history-club.

The Old Abingdon facebook page has more information https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4482799158431757&id=551653821546330&sfnsn=scwspmo

The 2½ mile branch ran from Radley Station to Abingdon between 1856 and 1984. Abingdon Station had one platform, open to the road. In 1956, when the article was published, the 2½ mile journey took 5 minutes. A tank engine would push and pull the single carriage. There were 16 return trips on weekdays, and three on Sunday evenings.

7th May 1921
Brigadier-General Wigan, the Coalition Unionist member for the Abingdon Division, resigned last week, giving reasons of business. Abingdon Liberals, placed on record their strong and emphatic protest against the present creation of an untimely and unnecessary vacancy in the representation of the constituency, have decided, in view of the present industrial Crisis, not to invite a candidate to contest the seat.

At this Borough Police Court on Tuesday the only case was that of Edwin Thatcher, of Drayton, who was summoned for using a motor car without an identification plate, at Abingdon, and was fined £1.

The proceeds of the recent concert given by the Abingdon Choral Society enabled £12 to be given to the Radliffe Infirmary, Oxford, and to the Abingdon Cottage Hospital.

14th May 1921
A folk dancing demonstration was held on Thursday 12th May at the residence of Mr Bromley Challenor, and included the famous Morris Dances.

The funeral of Mrs Gillingham, aged 72, the wife of Mr W P Gillingham of ‘Avondale’ Park Road took place on Thursday 12th May in the presence of a large number of friends. Deceased was one of the oldest members of Abingdon Congregational Church, of which Mr Gillingham is senior deacon. The first part of the service was conducted by the pastor (Rev C.H.Gill) in the Congregational Church. Wreaths were sent from the firm of Messrs. Brind, Gillingham and Co Ltd of Abingdon and Oxford.

The Didcot Depot is in future to be policed by the Berks Constabulary, and attached to the Abingdon Police Division. Huts have been converted into quarters for the police, and P.S Humphries, of Wallingford, has been promoted Inspector, and takes charge of the Ordnance Depot at Didcot.

A Ladies’ Croquet Club has been formed in Abingdon, and the Governors of Christ Hospital, Abingdon, have laid down two lawns in Albert Park for the use of the Club. Lady Norman is the president, and Mrs G, H. Roberts, of Radley Road, the hon. sec.

The Abingdon grocers have agreed to closing their shops on the first three days of the week at 6 p.m. Thursday is the usual half-day and on Friday and Saturday the shops will he closed at the usual hour.

Mr. and Mrs. George Matthews, of Spring Road, Abingdon, celebrated their golden wedding last week, and were the recipients of many hearty congratulations. Mr. Matthews has been for over 63 years at the Abingdon clothing factory, and his fellow workers made him a presentation of a case of pipes.

21st May 1921

Mr. Thomas Loyd, Coalition Unionist, was on Saturday returned unopposed at the by-election in the Abingdon Division of Berkshire. At the previous election, in 1918 J. T. Wigan, Coalition Unionist, was returned.

The festival of Whitsuntide was duly kept at the Abingdon Churches, of St Helen, St. Michael, and St. Nicolas, which were appropriately decorated. Early celebrations of the Holy Communion were held in each of the churches, with High Mass at 11 a.m. at St Michael’s. There were good congregations. The Bank Holiday was favoured with delightful weather. On Monday boating and picniccing were the chief items of enjoyment.

The scheme inaugurated in Abingdon for systematic house-to-houses collections on behalf of the Oxford Infirmary and Abingdon Cottage Hospital has been very successful. The amount received in the month of April was £83 13s 3d.

The Abingdon Fire Brigade was called on Wednesday last week to fire at a cottage at Rowstock, tenanted by John Moore, labourer. The only water supply was from deep well, which could not be used by the fire engine, and the thatched cottage was entirely destroyed. Moore, who was working in a field, saw the roof on fire, and in getting on the roof was partly embedded in the thatch, and had to be extracted and taken to Wantage hospital.

28th May 1921

The London Joint City and Midland Bank, of the Square, Abingdon, have transferred their business to a larger premises, acquired at No. 6, High Street, Abingdon. (Became The Midland Bank and then HSBC)

On Thursday in last week, during the workmen’s dinner hour, a fire broke out in the roof electric power house, recently erected by Messrs Cox and Sons, builders, near Radley Road. The plant was used for driving a saw in a large building, near, and had also been used for supplementing the town electric supply. The roof which was of asbestos on match boarding, fell in and the remainder of the power house practically was destroyed. The building and its contents were insured.

For assaulting P.S. Painter, at Abingdon last week, Albert Sheppard, 1st Bucks Regiment, of Didcot Depot, was sentenced by the Borough Magistrates to seven days’ hard labour. The Sergeant said the prisoner came up to him in the Market Place and complained that a landlord would not serve him with a drink. When the policeman told the prisoner the landlord was justified he hit the Sergeant in the face with his fist, and was very violent on the way to the Police Station.

Thank you for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette on the British Newspaper Archive. Two pictures from the Reading Mercury and one (the first) from The Sketch of 9th September 1925 showing Brigadier-General Wigan.