Thanks to Viv for this history, and to the Skuses for sending pictures of Health Walks over the years …

When I retired from teaching in 2003 I wanted to help in our local community. I was really lucky; I read an article on Health Walks and their benefits. I love walking and the outdoors, so started the daunting task of recruiting volunteers to help me.

I used the gym at the Leisure centre where I started talking to any individual who enjoyed exercise and admitted to liking walking! I recruited them and we started one walk on a Wednesday morning from the White Horse Leisure Centre in Audlett Drive.

Initially we had one led walk and only 3-4 walkers. Gradually we have grown and grown, so to date we now lead 8 different walks per week as follows:-

Monday and Wednesday mornings at 10.30 am. There are 3 walks a gentle, moderate and a brisk.

On Thursdays mornings we have a first steps walk that is based at Preston Road Community centre. This is 30-45 minutes in length and is the gentlest of our walks

In October we are starting a Friday morning moderate walk from the White horse Leisure Centre.

Since we started 14 years ago Abingdon Health Walks have grown from one weekly walk with 4 walkers, to 8 walks of varying speeds every week. A typical attendance on any single walk is 10-20 people.

We receive support from the Leisure centre but are not funded in any way. We believe this is our strength- no officialdom. We have around 300 regular walkers on our database. 75 walkers have undertaken training to become leaders or backmarkers.

These committed volunteers also organise coach trips, holidays(3 this year), a picnic, pub walks, evening pub walks and a Christmas party.

Coordinating this Scheme is the most fulfilling activity that I am involved in. The support of the leaders and the group is amazing. The walkers support of each other, whenever there is a need, gives me faith in the people of Abingdon and the surrounding area.

The Abingdon Drama Club annual Thames walk met at the Millenium Needle this morning – that is the pointy thing near the Abbey Gardens.

The walk was organised by Kevin – a stage manager from the club. He also organises tourist walks about Abingdon.

They set off at 11am. The route was Abingdon – Lower Radley – Sandford Lock – Oxford. Kevin asked for “Sensible shoes please. Bring plenty of water, sun screen and some waterproofs (you never know!!), oh and maybe a hat.“

He had also hoped for good weather but the rain started to fall before they reached Lower Radley, and continues all the way to Oxford.

The Daily Mail summed up the performance, “You can just tell the summer holidays have started.”

The Daily Mirror saw it as a “Summer holidays ‘weather curse'”.

From 10.30am to 5pm on Bank Holiday Monday the Abbey Buildings will be open with some entertainment and children’s activities.

Also, thanks to the Friends of Abingdon, there will be a number of organised walks around Abingdon. There is a new one in the afternoon visiting the places in Abingon most associated with St Edmund of Abingdon. He was born, “probably in West St Helen Street”, and there was a chapel dedicated to his memory somewhere nearby.

There is a church-like building, half way up West St Helen Street, depicted on the Medieval Monks Map in the museum. So this could have been what that chapel looked like.

We walked down the Ock Valley Walk this evening. Birds were singing as it was getting dark. Every so often we walked through a cloud of midges. Last night I saw a big fish leap out of the water, but not this evening.

In Ladygrove Meadow, just off the Ock Bridge, Hatwells Fun Fair are there for the weekend. They have been coming to Abingdon for a couple of decades to my knowledge. It is good sized funfair with good rides but did not seem that busy.

We walked through the Albert Park and along Park Road and then came to the lights of Bath Street which always look good at night. The Bella Napoli was full.

We looked in at shop windows.

A rock band struck up at the Black Swan. Taxis were queued back round the Square including that yellow London-style cab. The Narrows pub and Grapes opposite looked particularly busy.

Then home. Oxfordshire Artweeks is happening so we checked out their website to see what is on tomorrow. I’m looking forward to the church service at Trinity tomorrow. The Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, Revd. Kevin Watson, is visiting. Then we will go to somewhere completely different for some art.