In January 1962 British Rail announced the closure of the Abingdon – Radley branch line which had been loosing £5000 per annum since diesel trains were introduced. A public meeting was set up in February to oppose this.
In June 1962 My Raymond Hemmings was elected Mayor of Ock Street.
In July 1962 Mayott House was opened as the new Berkshire County Council old people’s home.
In October 1962 Abingdon Corporation voted to replace the Corn Exchange by a new assembly hall outside the central development area, but estimated costs for the new hall had risen from £50,000 to £60,000 so there was a lot of debate.
Alderman James Candy had become the Mayor of Abingdon in May and in October launched an appeal for the World Hunger Campaign to raise £3,000.
The Christmas 1962 front page of the North Berks Herald for Abingdon led with “Abingdon’s Christmas – Bright, Cheerful and almost white“, which followed the Mayor round as he visited a number of places on Christmas day including the Warren Hospital on Bath Street where two babies were born on 25th December, Mayott House,
and Dr Barnardo’s Home in Caldecott House.
Back then Dr Barnardo’s was described as the largest family in Abingdon.
A few days earlier the home hosted a carols by candlelight in the floodlit grounds.
The Mayor also hosted an old people’s party a few days earlier attended by 200 people. The newspaper says only 50 of the 200 people took advantage of the coaches provided. Not that much has changed. The Mayor still usually does some Christmas day visits, and hosts a party for over 70s which people enjoyed this year.
Other late 1962 news included a By-election in Caldecott ward won by Labour who became the largest party on the Abingdon Borough Council. The Labour Party claimed it was the first time a party had included Christmas Greetings, including holly, on election literature.
(All this information comes thanks to archives of the North Berks Herald, for Abingdon, held at Abingdon Library.)
