There was bright sunshine this May Day morning when I left the house.

It would have been better if I had got up earlier and gone into Oxford for the May Morning gathering. I could have got a picture of the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers for the blog. Instead I took a couple of pictures by the River Thames.

There was a film of frost on the car windscreen. Once scraped off, I drove off.

Here are the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers in a video from 2014, dancing the Princess Royal in Abingdon.

Thankyou for Sreeja for this belated Easter / Spring Message. Sreeja was intending to write a piece on International Womens day. But that has long since gone as has Easter… However Sreeja still has Easter eggs and writes …

Four weeks after Easter I am still finishing eating my chocolate eggs and I am thinking how lucky I am to be in Abingdon. The Local Excellence and Craft Markets inspire you to be creative with gifts for friends and family. There are the array of both independent and larger retail shops. Then the cafes and pubs offer the opportunity of spending time with loved ones. This Easter I was lucky enough to get organic Fairtrade chocolate eggs from the Cooperative, tea leaves from Added Ingredients, and a gift voucher to be used at Utopia on Stert Street.

Whilst eating my chocolate eggs I thought of their continuing significance in many different cultural contexts both in the Pagan and Christian traditions, symbolising new life, fertility and rebirth and the germinating of life that is early spring.

Whatever belief system you follow Spring is an opportunity to start afresh and remind yourself of the transformative power of the human spirit as seen through the actions of local people in Abingdon without whom our communities would not exist or thrive.

Helena and her team of willing volunteers have run the Helen Douglas Charity shop for over 12 years. They always bring a smile to your face when you walk into the shop and the team effort is evident in their beautiful window displays which both attracts customers and gains recognition in the awards at the Extravaganza each year.

A visit to Leona Norhana’s organic hairdressing salon on Bath street leaves you feeling radiant in more ways than one. Her products are derived from ethical and sustainable sources and Leona’s empowering advice and mentoring of women in all walks of life makes you wonder whether she has done a course in life coaching alongside her obvious salon skills.

A short walk away from the centre of town in North Abingdon live an amazing couple who exchange more Easter eggs and presents then any couple I know. Rod and Rosily Hudson have been fostering and adopting children in the Abingdon community for over 40 years now. They are in their 70s and continue to foster children in need of emergency care during the holiday periods. They are so inspiring.

A notice has appeared next to the rabbits at Pets at Home in Abingdon.

It reads ‘Owning rabbits can be very rewarding and enjoyable. It’s also a long term commitment that you need to make sure you’re ready for’

‘We pride ourselves on putting pets before profit, so we’ve made the decision not to sell or adopt rabbits over the Easter weekend (30 March – 2 April). You can still buy a gift card, which can be used any time after Easter.’

Happy Easter!

The new Vale of the White Horse District Council machines, in Abingdon’s car parks, turned the clock back automatically.

The new Oxfordshire County Council machines, for on-street parking, appear to need manual intervention.

One clock on the tower at St Nicolas Church had been turned back.

The other clock has not been working for some time. Clock repairs can cost thousands when they are so old.