The air has cooled down since the thunder and hail storms of Wednesday afternoon.

I went for an evening walk at 8:20 pm and found some street lights were already on; cars already had their lights on.

At St Helen’s Wharf, Plain Trees shade the Victorian-style street lamps, and as a result they are fooled into turning on even earlier.

Thankyou to Rachel at BlueDoor (now in Southampton) for sending me a link to a piece called Don’t call Abingdon ordinary. It is about Abingdon-on-Thames – a town that has been continuously inhabited since the Iron Age and has innovated to survive. The article is written by a Historian on a website called Unherd. Their mission is ‘to push back against the herd mentality with new and bold thinking’

P.S. Greg and Rachel used to run BlueDoor Lettings in Stert Street and were very active in Abingdon town life. They had an amusing blog – the confessions of a letting agent. Greg was the front man, and is seen here with Mike Moon in 2011 at a local event.

3rd July
The Roysse’s School War Memorial, which is to take the form of the extension of the school premises for the reception of more boarders, has its funds well subscribed to but £1,000 more is needed. The memorial tablet recently dedicated in the school chapel contains the names of 73 old boys and former members of the school teaching staff who fell in the war.

The funeral took place at Abingdon Cemetery last week, of Mr J Carter, of Bath Street, Abingdon, who passed away in his sleep, at the age of 83. He was for over 50 years in the employ of the London and County Bank, Abingdon Branch, where he was highly esteemed by the management and the customers. He had retired for a considerable number of years.

A garden party in aid of the S.P.G. Peace Offering Fund was held in the Abbey House Grounds, Abingdon, by permission of the Bishop of Reading, on Saturday last in connection with the Abingdon Church Sunday School and ‘King Messengers.’ The items included a pageant, Britons Call, given by the children in picturesque costumes of the several countries, both in the afternoon and evening. An exhibition of curios, old lace, etc was given in the Abbey House, and there were Stalls for the sale of work &c. Tea was served in the Roysse Room. Notwithstanding the dullness of the weather there was good attendance.

John Cooper, Abinger Road, Depford, was summoned for driving a motor cycle at excessive speed to the danger of public, in Ock Street, Abingdon, on June 18th. The constable said that defendant was driving at the rate of 20 miles an hour, and there were a lot of children playing in the street, John Wiblin, Ock Street, corroborated the constable. and the defendant, who did not appear, was fined.

10th July
The Abingdon War Memorial has now been decided upon. It is to be a monument, with a bronze figure of a soldier, the names of the fallen heroes to be inscribed at the base. The cost is estimated at £1,650 and is to be raised by private subscriptions.

Comrades Sunday was observed by the Abingdon Branch of Comrades in the Great War. They paraded in the Market Place on Sunday morning, and, accompanied by the Town Band, attended the service at St. Helen’s Church, after which they marched to the temporary war memorial and deposited a beautiful wreath.

Alexandra Day, for the benefit of local Hospitals, held at Abingdon on Saturday last, was greatly marred by the wet weather. There were three short performances in the afternoon in the Guildhall, and at a popular concert in the Corn Exchange in the evening the building was packed.

17th July
The Abingdon Master Bakers’ Association had their annual on Wednesday, which took the form of rivet trip by steamer to Streatley.

The birth and death returns for the past quarter by the Abingdon Registrar (Mr T. S. Simpson) includes Abingdon borough and adjoining small parishes, the population being 9,489 shows that there were 71 births (35 males and 36 females), and 31 deaths (17 males and 14 females). The births were 31 more and the deaths 8 less than in the corresponding quarter last year. Of the deaths 19 occurred m the Union (workhouse) and 6 in the local sanatorium.

The Stert Street Cinema, was re-opened after enlargement and refurbishment on Thursday afternoon last by the Mayor (councillor R. W. Langford) accompanied by the Mayoress. The afternoon performance was by invitation, with a collection on behalf of the local Cottage Hospital, and raised £49 3s.

24th July
The Abingdon Boy Scouts held a concert in aid of their summer camp fund in the Abingdon Corn Exchange on Thursday last, which was well patronised.

The Cottage Hospital Pound Day last week realised in money £43 10s 3d, which included besides donations, £9 5s 11d from tea and concert, children’s stall £7 8s 11d, and flower stall £3 Is 0d. The amount of goods of food etc., was 769 pounds, of which the school children contributed nearly 250 pounds.

On Monday evening last to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the peace terms, a volley of eleven rounds was fired by the Abingdon Volunteers in a meadow near Abingdon Bridge, and the occasion was taken of arranging a collection for St. Dunstan’s Home for the Blind.

31st July
Abingdon Angling Society held their first roving competition on Saturday in last week, which was also counted as the first of the four competitions for the Daniel Gardner Challenge Cup. The prize winners were — lst, £1, W. James, five roach and one dace, 2 lb. 3oz. 2nd, 10s, James Gerring, five roach, 1 lb. 9 oz.; 3rd, 5s , Harry Hayward, two roach and a perch, 1 lb. 5 oz and 4th, 2s 6d, Harry Bennitt, three roach, 1 lb.

A fancy fair, organised by the Misses Randall, daughters of the Bishop of Reading, took place last Thursday week in the grounds of Alderman J. T. Morland. The stalls were well supplied with both useful and fancy articles, and both afternoon and evening were well patronised. The Abingdon Town Band gave selections for dancing in the evening. Net profits amounted to £65 16s 6d are are in aid of the Building Fund of the Abingdon Parish Hall.

The Venerable and highly esteemed Bishop of Reading and family are giving up their residence in Abingdon, known as The Abbey House, with its beautiful and historic grounds, and going to live at Bournemouth. The Misses Randall will be greatly missed in Abingdon, both as devoted Church workers and for their charitable dispositions.

Thank you for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette on the British Newspaper Archive. The pictures are of a Thames steamer from a William Hooke postcard. I will add more relevant pictures if I can find them or people send them to backstreet60@gmail.com.

5th June 1920
On Monday last the Abingdon Police had another field day in Abingdon for holding up motor cars for the production of licenses, and Mr Asquith, journeying from his Sutton Courtenay residence, was held up, but it proved to be blank, as the late Premier promptly produced his license.

The G.W.R. Company in their reply to the Abingdon Town Council’s suggestion that the Sunday trains on the Branch should be re-commenced, state that the circumstances did not admit of the facility being afforded.

The Abingdon Town Council has granted another £50 towards the equipment of the Local Museum of Natural History and Antiquities in the County Hall.

The Abingdon Bathing Place was re-opened for the sesion on Sunday last. The floods during the winter having destroyed a portion of the island on which the dressing boxes were built, only a portion of the island can be used at present.

12th June 1920

The Abingdon Railway Slate club members had an outing to Blenheim Park, Woodstock, on Sunday last. The journey was made by brakes, and supplies for luncheon and tea were taken with the party. The day was greatly enjoyed.

The Abingdon branch the C.E.M.S. has through lack of interest of the majority of its members, suspended its active working sine die. (Church of England Men’s Society)

The report of the Abingdon Free Library has been issued and shows satisfactory use being made of the reading and lending department. During the year ended March 31, the period the report covers, 14.304 volumes were issued from the lending department.

19th June 1920

The graded supplies at Abingdon Cattle Market on Monday last were 4 beasts and 56 sheep, 24 of the latter being allocated to Oxford. Calves met a fast trade and realised up to £l7. Supply pigs was rather short, some strong stores made up to 47s.

At Abingdon Borough Police Court: J. H. Hammond, Trinity College, Oxford; Nellie Alden, Eastwick Farm. Abingdon, and F. Hugging, butcher, Southmoor Road, Oxford, were each fined 10s for failing to produce motor licenses when requested by the police.

26th June 1920

Roysse School Founder’s Day took place on Friday last, when the usual service was held in St Helen’s Church, and a wreath placed upon the Founder’s (John Roysse) tomb. A reception of parents and friends was afterwards held at the school, and a cricket match between past and present, the former winning by only one run. On Saturday the usual regatta was held ou the river, where the prizes were distributed by the Lord Lieut of the County (J. H. Benyon, Esq.)

The June Fair was held as usual in the Abingdon Market Place on Monday last, but only a few small stalls and miniature roundabouts were erected.

There was a large attendance at a Council meeting in connection with the Unionist Association of the Abingdon Parliamentary Division, the business being to consider the replacement for the sitting MP, Brig-Gen Wigan, D.S.O.. Mr Arthur T Loyd was selected and in his acceptance speech said: I must thank you very sincerely for the great compliment you have paid me by this selection. Believe me, it is an honour I appreciate very highly, and I also appreciate the great responsibility which attaches to the position in which you have placed me. I must confess I am an extraordinarily bad politician, for I suffer from an awkward inability to say one thing and mean other (applause). Probably I shall get the better of it, but if I betray a disposition to say what I mean and try to do what I say l am going to do, I hope you will put it down to inexperience (laughter and applause) …

Thank you for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette on the British Newspaper Archive. The picture of Mr Asquith about to drive his car is from The Graphic also on the British Newspaper Archive. The Wills’s cigarette card is from a private collection.

Saturday 01 May 1920

At the Abingdon Borough Police Court on Tuesday, Edwin Fisher, cabman, Fyfield, was summoned for cruelty to a horse, but did not appear. Mr Finch, R.S.P.C.A., said that on the 17th April he found the horse, which was very old. in the High Street in a very bad state. He had called the defendant’s attention to sores on its back the week previous. The Bench ordered the horse to be destroyed, and adjourned the case sine die defendant to pay 10s towards costs.

The annual spring stock sale at Abingdon took place on Wednesday last week in the Tower Brewery Meadow, Ock Street. The entries exceeded 400 and were mostly from farmers in the district. Messrs Adkin. Belcher and Bowen, the auctioneers, sold most of the stock at good prices.

Saturday 08 May 1920

At the County Bench on Monday, James Sutton, labourer, of no fixed abode, was charged with breaking into the residence of William Hosier, Ock Mill, Abingdon, on April 29th. Prisoner had been previously convicted and the Bench sent the case to the Reading Assizes.

The Abingdon War Memorial Committee have decided that the site for the Memorial shall be the Square, the same place as the temporary cross is erected. The final vote for the Memorial design is to be left to the relations of the 205 men of the town who had lost their lives in the war, but are to be given three designs to choose from, viz a cross, a cenotaph, and a bronze figure of a Berks infantryman.

On Thursday in last week the members of the Abingdon Y.M. Social Club returned from war services were entertained to a dinner by C Pryce founder of the Club, which took place at the Assembly Rooms, Station Road. During the evening the presentation of a wallet of Treasury notes was presented to Mr A. J. Young who recently resigned the office of hon. sec and treasurer after 25 years service. Young’s, response, mentioned the fact that during the past 25 years he had not missed a single meeting of the Club which he estimated at nearly 300 meetings. He thanked the company for giving him such a happy ending to a pleasant chapter of his life.

Saturday 15 May 1920

At the Abingdon May Fair on Thursday in last week the Abingdon Market Place was occupied by roundabouts, stalls, etc , and there was a large attendance during the evening. The fair was originally a horse fair held in Lombard Street, but which has been defunct for many years.

The last of the winter series of lectures given in Abingdon under the auspices of the Berks Agricultural Society was delivered on Wednesday by Dr. B. Marett, Dean of Exeter College, Oxford, on prehistoric periods.

The Abingdon Cricket Club commenced their season on Saturday last with a match on the home ground against Oriel College, Oxford, the former winning by 54 runs.

Borough Court, Tuesday. John Pullinger, Radley, was fined 5s for not sending his child to school regularly.
Saturday 22 May 1920

On Monday most of the builders workmen, masons, bricklayers, painters etc-, came out on strike for the Oxford wages of 2s per hour, the present pay being per hour 1s 6 1/2d.

The Abingdon Division of the Berks Constabulary had a field day on Monday last amongst the motor drivers. All cars and motor cycles were held up for production of licenses, particulars of which were taken down. The episode interested many of the Abingdonians, especially the juveniles.

The Abingdon ‘lvy’ Lodge of Oddfellows have placed in their Lodge room an oak tablet in honour of 184 members of the Lodge, who served in the Forces during the war; 33 of whom made the supreme sacrifice. The tablet was designed by G. Dixon, Abingdon, and the names are in gilt letters, the unveiling the Memorial took place last week when the Vicar of Abingdon said the dedicatory prayers, and the hymn O God, our help in ages past was sung. There was a large company present including the Mayor.

The Abingdon Branch of the Comrades, at a meeting last week passed the following resolution to be sent to the Government ‘That this Branch, being gravely concerned at the news which reaches them from many parts of Ireland, of the conditions under which ex-Service men are living, the persecution which they are suffering, and the danger to their wives and families, calls upon the Government to take immediate steps to give protection to these men, who went without any compulsion whatever to fight side by side with their brothers of Great Britain overseas.
Saturday 29 May 1920

The Whitsuntide services at the Churches of St. Helen’s, St. Michael’s and St. Nicholas’. Abingdon, were attended on Sunday by large congregations, and the Churches were nicely decorated.

Thank you for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette on the British Newspaper Archive.