The year is 1416. Geoffrey Barbour invests a considerable sum in building a stone bridge from Abingdon towards London, and local businessmen seeing the benefits joined in funding the project.

At lunchtime in St Nicolas Church, the town archivist, Jackie Smith, gave a fascinating talk on the 600 year history of Abingdon Bridge. How it was breached in the civil war, and badly damaged by severe winters, but then repaired and improved again and again.

The final slide of the talk showed Abingdon’s Freemen driving sheep across Abingdon Bridge in the year 2000. Mr Michael Matthews on the right is the longest serving Freeman, and possibly the last remaining Mayor of the Borough of Abingdon.

The talk was the first event in the 4 day heritage open days. There are medieval happenings in town on Saturday to celebrate the bridge and Abingdon Bridge beer will be on tap.

There will also be 14 heritage properties open including the former County Police Station, now the home of The Abingdon Bridge Charity (TAB) who help and give counselling to young people. They are recognising the 600th anniversary of our town’s other bridge by encouraging  friends and visitors to match the age of the bridge with 600 £1 coins as a special heritage donation to help them with their work.

Another of the properties, Christ’s Hospital Hall, will have an exhibition about 600 years of Abingdon Bridge. See the map for the full list of open properties.

A new exhibition has opened at the Freespace (opposite Samuel’s). It was open today and will run from Monday 5th to Saturday until 10th September, 10:00am-4:00pm. It has pictures of Abingdon in the 1950s, and memorabilia from the 1950s, and brings back memories of younger days to some …

For others it gives a chance to see an Abingdon long before they were born.

The exhibition has been put together by Elizabeth Drury, who also curated the Abingdon in Victorian times exhibition last year, and Abingdon in WWI the year before. The exhibition is part of Abingdon’s Heritage Open Days programme.

Somebody commented that the Old Gaol Gardens are now open, and so I went through the gate at the side and had a walk round.

The gardens will be used for the medieval foot tournament on Heritage Day. The battling knights will have a softer landing there than on the Market Place, and their squires will be able to pitch tents on the grass.

I sometimes look at images of Abingdon from Ebay where postcards and other collectibles are for sale. Very occasionally I will buy a vintage postcard.

Search for ‘Abingdon’ on Ebay and you will also find: MG memorabilia, Abingdon Town Football programmes and badges, Abingdon vases, and books produced by the Abingdon Press.

There are also a lot of King Dick Abingdon spanners and wrenches.

Somebody today is trying to sell a 1950s advert for King Dick tools. They were made at the Abingdon Works in Birmingham.

Going further back you find vintage motorcycles called Abingdon King Dick or AKD.

Does anybody know the missing link between Birmingham based King Dick Abingdon and Abingdon-on-Thames?