Saturday 1st November 1919
The annual North Berks Agricultural Society corn show was held in the Abingdon Corn Exchange on Monday last. Only a few entries were received, and the judges—Mr Soundy, of Reading, and Mr W. Frogley, of Challow—made the following awards:—Class 60. for the best 10 quarters of white wheat: 1st prize, Mr H. Aldwinckle
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Class 39, for the best 5 acres of mangolds, the first prize of £5 was won by Mr C. Taylor, of Radley. The Judges report that the entries in the swede and mangold classes were of surprising merit, and difficulty was experienced in nominating the winners.

Saturday 8th November 1919
The Abingdon “Royal Arch” Lodge of Freemasons held an Installation Chapter at the Council Chamber on Thursday evening in last week, when the Principal elected was Mr J. G. T. West, and Mr C. D. Adkin 2nd Principal.

The annual meeting of the Abingdon Bowling Club took place in the Council Chamber on Wednesday evening of last week, the President, Mr A. E. Preston, presiding. The accounts showed a balance in hand of £30. The officers were re-elected.

The Abingdon Town Football Club, in the match on Saturday last with the Abingdon Comrades, on the latter’s ground, in a North Berks League match, beat by two goals to one. The Club has not suffered defeat this season at present.

There was considerable interest taken in the Municipal Elections at Abingdon on Saturday last. The retiring Councillors were Messrs A. E. Preston, F, G. Palmer, T. Skurray, and W. F. Gadd, the two latter not seeking re-election. For the four seats there were seven candidates, viz., Messrs Preston and Palmer (retiring members), Mrs E. Reynolds (a member of the Abingdon Board of Guardians), Mr W. Cordell (a land, steward under the Small Holdings Act), Mr W. Bernthall (Organising Secretary and Liberal Agent for North Berks), Mr H. P. Simpson (outfitter), and Mr A. E. Tombs (grocer). The result of the poll was declared amid much excitement and the cheering of a large crowd late on Saturday evening, as follows: —Preston, 1,201; Reynolds, 813 Cordell, 640; Simpson, 607 ; Bernthall. 605; Palmer. 515; and Tombs, 204.

lt is unanimously agreed that the selection by the Town Council of Abingdon of Robert West Langford as the new Mayor is an excellent one, and will give general satisfaction in the town. Mr Langford is senior and managing director of Messrs R. F. Langford and Sons, Ltd., coal and corn merchants, carrying on an extensive business in Abingdon, with branches in Faringdon, Wantage, Steventon, and Challow. As a young man he entered the Town Council in 1913 at a contested election, and headed the poll, 521 votes being recorded in his favour. He is a member of the ‘Abbey’ Lodge of Freemasons, organist of the Trinity Wesleyan Church, and takes a keen interest in the affairs of the town.

Whilst returning from Oxford on Saturday, Mr Reginald Stacey, of Abingdon, found a man in a ditch on the Radley Road, who had fallen off his bicycle. He was a discharged soldier, named William Waine, of Harwell, who had been to the Medical Board at Oxford, and on returning had a severe heart attack whilst riding. Assistance was obtained and he was taken to the house of some friends at Abingdon.

Saturday 15th November 1919
At the Abingdon Borough Court on Tuesday, before the Mayor, and Messrs. Downing, Tatham, Paul, Clarke and Ricketts … Ptes Jones and Lost, of the R.A.O.C., Didcot. were fined 2s each for riding bicycles without lights at Abingdon on Nov. 1st.

The street lighting is to renewed on the pre-war standard, and the tower clock of St. Nicholas Church is to be lighted during the winter months from dusk to 11 p.m.

The new Unionist agent for the Abingdon Division North Berks is Captain S. T. Austin, Berks Yeomanry. He served as staff officer under the command Brig.-Gen. J. T. Wigan, the sitting M.P. for the Division.

The Town Football Club on Saturday met Roysse School on their ground, and won by 4 goals to 2.

The Great Silence.— The two minutes silence on Tuesday was duly observed at Abingdon. The siren at the Pavlova Leather Factory gave the signal. At 11.5 a short service of commemoration of the fallen in the was held at St. Nicholas Church. The Comrades of the Great War placed a large laurel leaf wreath at the Memorial Cross in the Square, inscribed Lest we forget.

Saturday 22nd November 1919
The Abingdon Town Band commenced a series of winter dances in the Roysse Room on Wednesday evening, which was well attended.

The Abingdon Town Council have reverted to the old custom of holding their quarterly meetings the morning instead of in the evening.

The Abingdon Cottage Hospital has had £50 bequeathed by the late Mr William Harris, of Croydon, formerly of Abingdon.

The Abingdon Comrades of the War held a successful whist drive at their Club Room on Thursday last, prizes being given by town tradesmen. The prizes were awarded, to Misses Thorless, Clay, and Armstrong, and Messrs Clarke, and W. Pocock.

Two children, Arthur and Vera Branson, of Ock Street, Abingdon, whilst crossing the road near the Post Office collided with a light car, the wheel of which ran over the girl’s left arm and the middle of the boy’s body. They were taken to the Cottage Hospital where it was found that no serious injuries had been the result.

The Abingdon Ladies’ Party held their annual sale of work on behalf of the Church Home and Foreign Missions, in the Abingdon Corn Exchange on Thursday last, when there was a large attendance and ready sales. Tea was served and a ladies orchestra was a pleasant item. The proceeds amounted to upwards of £112.

At the Abingdon Board of Guardians meeting on Monday last, the Clerk reported that an increase had been made by the Oxford Board for maintenance of children in Cowley Poor Law Schools from 12s. to 17s 6d. per week, which the Board agreed to.

There was a good gate on Saturday at Abingdon on the occasion of a League match between Abingdon Town Club and the Abingdon Pavlova Leather Factory Club. The game aroused much interest between the spectators. The Factory won by 2 goals to nil. This was the first match this season lost by the Town Club.

During an auction sale at Abingdon last Friday week of tractors and ploughs by order of the Board of Agriculture the motor car of a farmer attending the sale was stolen. Mr W. Mobbs, of Warren Farm, Culham, the owner, left it in Caldecott Road, whilst he went into the sale meadow, and on returning found it had disappeared. It was a Morris two seater car and painted grey.

The Abingdon Comrades of the War now number 250 it was stated at a general meeting held last week. In response to an appeal for subscriptions and donations recently issued, the sum of £58 13s. had been received by the treasurer, Mr P. J. North.

The Rev B. C. MacKeown, M.A, one of the Abingdon parochial clergy and late chaplain of H.M. Forces during the War is giving addresses to men only on Monday evenings in St Nicolas Church, Abingdon, on the subject of ‘The War and Religion.’

Another human skeleton has been found by the workmen engaged in the alterations being carried out at the ‘Horse and Jockey Inn,’ Abingdon, the teeth of which were in good preservation. A few weeks ago the workmen on the same premises found several human skeletons under the flooring.

The subscription list to the Abingdon Roysse School War Memorial Fund has reached the sum of £1,303 6d.

Thankyou for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette. The announcements came from the North Berks Herald

4th October 1919
The Abingdon railway men came out on strike on Saturday, and no trains were run until Tuesday at 1 O’clock, when one was run to London, stopping at all stations.

A white leghorn pullet belonging to an Abingdonian laid an egg last week weighing 4 1/2 oz, and measured in circumference 8 3/4 inches.

At a meeting of the Abingdon Town Council last week it was decided to obtain a field of about 40 acres, on the Marcham Road, at £4 per acre, to be let out in allotments. The Finance Committee’s recommendations as to the wages of the Corporation employees were as follows: Skilled men, 55s; semi-skilled, 50s; unskilled, 45s. Hours per week, 47. All workmen after twelve months’ service to be given a week’s holiday in the year, in addition to Bank Holidays. Employees to be allowed full wages in sickness for six weeks.

11th October 1919
The Abingdon Michaelmas Fair was revived after the War on Monday and Tuesday this week, and the usual weekly cattle market was held this year on Monday. The fair paraphernalia occupied the Market Place and High Street, and there was a large crowd of visitors from the neighbouring villages.

Harvest Festival.— St. Helen’s Church was nicely decorated Sunday last, and there were large congregations, especially at Evensong, when the anthem was “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem,” the solo being ably rendered by Mr Lewington. The Rev. H. T. Maitland was unable to preach as announced, being prevented by the railway strike.

A Town Council bye-election caused by the death of Councillor W. F. Matthews, was held Thursday last week, the candidates being W. Bernthall, organising secretary and for several years Liberal agent for the North Berks Division, and Mr J. T. Tate, of the firm of the Pavlova Leather Factory, the largest Abingdon ratepayers. Although the burgess roll had nearly 2,790 electors, only 1,336 recorded their votes. Five polling stations had been made in consequence of the increase of the voters through the addition of women voters, but the voting was slow. The Mayor declared the result as follows Tate, 906; Bernthall, 437; majority, 479.

The tenders for provisions at the Abingdon Workhouse for the ensuing three months, were accepted as follows: — Bread, 8 1/2d. per 4-lb loaf; flour, £2 6s. 6d. per sack; beef. 1s 3d. per lb.; beef suet. 1s per lb; mutton. 1s 3 1/2 d per lb; and milk, 3s. per gallon during October, 3s. 4d. during November, and 3s. 8d. during December.

The St. Michael’s Church congregation held their National Festival social gathering on Wednesday in the Roysse Room Borough Buildings, when about 150 were present. Music, games, refreshments, etc., made a pleasant evening’s entertainment.

The Abingdon Pig Club has been re-started, and at a recent meeting the balance sheet was produced showing that the expenses for the existing last year had been £4 6s 9d., whilst the bank balance on August 11th this year was £62 16s 1d. The chairman stated that there had been a loss on the feeding stuffs, which as artificial feeding stuffs would not keep very long and had to be sold at a loss.

25th October 1919
The graded supplies at Abingdon Cattle Market on Monday last, included 26 beasts and 79 sheep, 76 of which came from the Witney Market.

The death is announced at Liverpool last Thursday, of Dr. Samuel Wilson MacLellan, a promising Liverpool physician, who took his M.B. degree in 1906. Death was caused through deceased fracturing his finger when gathering blackberries whilst on his honey moon. He was married at the end of last August at St. Helen’s Church, Abingdon, to Miss Nora Cullen, second daughter of Mr Edwin Cullen, of Stert Street, who was during the war doing prominent service at the Front in France as a V.A.D. hospital nurse. Deceased was also on active service in France as Captain in the R.A.M.C., and won the M.C. for bravery in the front line in France.

Mrs Leach, an aged widow, of Radley Road, Abingdon, was last week taken to the Union Infirmary with a throat cut wound,self-inflicted with a razor. It appears that she had been afflicted with acute sciatica and attempted suicide.

At the Pavlova Leather Works a weekly social evening is being arranged for the employees during the coming winter months. The first of these series took place last week when the employees were well represented, and it was thoroughly enjoyed.

Sir Henry William Bliss KCIE died at his residence, The Abbey, Abingdon, aged 80. He was a British civil servant of the Indian civil service who served as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council of India from 1890 to 1892 and the Madras Legislative Council from 1893 to 1898.

Thankyou for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette. The picture of the station is from an Ebay Postcard about 1915. The fair programme was from a Buckingham newspaper.

There were five Heritage Walks setting of from Abingdon Market Place at 11 am on Sunday.
* Abingdon’s Boundary Walk
* The Rivers of Abingdon
* Heritage Art about Abingdon
* Abingdon’s Industrial Past
* Abingdon’s Blue Plaques

The rain began at 11 am at the same time as the walks. The rain was sometimes heavy and lasted for about two hours. But despite that about sixty people took part.

This was the first time for the blue plaques walk which covered four blue plaques:
Arthur Preston (historian and politician at Park Cresent),
John Alder (generous lottery winner at Stert Street),
Cecil Kimber (MG manager at The Boundary House),
and Daniel Turner (Baptist Minister and hymn writer at 35 Ock Street).

In the British Heart Foundation charity shop all the umbrellas in the store-area were brought down to sell to anybody who needed one.

At the temporary community shop the exhibition had over 600 visitors on Saturday. We all love studying the aerial photographs from 100 years ago to see what has changed and get into discussion with strangers.

Sunday was quieter with about 100 visitors. At the end the railway club put their banner in the window to attract people to their upcoming exhibition at Abingdon College.