Thanks to Steve for the first two pictures at today’s Heritage WWI Event on the Market Place. The first shows the recruiting Sergeant filling in the papers for another young Abingdon recruit going to serve King and Country.

The second shows Mr Punch and The Kaiser having a ding dong in front of the children.

Mr Punch has lost none of his punch with these kids after 100 years.

Thanks to Peter, also from Abingdon Camera Club, for this picture of the recruitment desk and the two pictures that follow.

Some lads from Abingdon about to join up for King and Country.

who then go through some initial training, getting it wrong and get an earful.

The Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, and Mr Hemmings Traditional Abingdon Morris Dancers, joined forces in memory of colleagues from 100 years ago.

Councillor Angela Lawrence, The Mayor of Abingdon, opened the Heritage Open Day activities at 10am, and is seen here in East St Helen Street.

Window displays showed the history of buildings, and a record of those who went to serve in WWI. There were 16 Properties opened for Heritage Open Day, and there were many windows on the past.

The Community Shop stayed open for an extra day – showing an exhibition of Abingdon people who served in WWI. All the pictures they collected will become part of the local history collection in the library. They used a 1914 way of counting Saturday’s visitors.

Finally, unless I get sent more pictures, the earlier recruits returned in modern day uniform to show they really could keep step and march in time in front of their visiting Brigadier, and MP Nicola Blackwood.

The only visible reminder of The Union Workhouse in Abingdon is the wall which separated the workhouse grounds from the allotment gardens (now Box Hill Recreation Ground).

The workshouse was demolished in 1932 and replaced by the housing estate made up of Abbot Road, and Thesiger Road – named after Sir Frederick Thesiger a former M.P for Abingdon.

The local parish used to have to look after their own poor, and Union Workhouses were where groups of parishes clubbed together, in Victoria times, looking for a more cost effective way.

Elderly and infirm would we treated leniently: those fit and of working age would NOT be encouraged to stay too long. Life would NOT be made easy: families were separated on entry; women might work in the laundry; men break rocks for roads; and the children could see their parents for a short while at the weekend if everybody behaved.

(Sepia pictures taken during a recent visit to Southwell Workhouse near Newark on Trent.)

In June 2009, a picture of Reg, the owner of the Reynolds Supermarket, and of an unknown lady, were fixed either side of an older mural of St Helen’s Church.

In August 2014 the pictures of Reg and the lady finally came down.

Another street scene put up on the Reynolds Way Wall in June 2009

is coming away from the wall in August 2014.

Most of the original murals from over ten years ago, made with tiles, and paint on the wall, are still doing well; but the newer ones painted on board, have lasted about five years. The notice board lasted even less. It has been mended and broken again.

On the Market Place this morning the Alzheimer’s Society held their summer jumble sale.

Plastic sheets were needed to cover books and clothes during the many showers. Bric-a-brac had to fend for itself.

Nostalgia Travel were near St Helen’s Church with one of their buses to transport wedding guests, and the town bus gave them a very wide berth.

At the Riverly Club, at Bridge House, there was a summer fete. Local groups and charities had stalls in the reception area (pictured). There was music, and a sing-a-long in the lounge; games and a magician in the gym; and a bouncy castle for grand children outside.

I did hear that some people thought the council had got the wrong time on the notices : World War One Commemoration – Monday 4th August at 10pm.

But no, the council is correct. It is not 10am. People will start to gather from 10pm to mark 100 years since Britain entered the First World War at 11pm. It will be preceded by a reading of the names of those who served in the war – at St Helen’s Church.