I am not aware of any proposals made at the Happy to Chat Bench in Abingdon Market Place today.

A second, more secluded, Happy to Chat Bench can also be found at St Helen’s Wharf. Perhaps something happened there.

I did read of a leap year proposal in the British Newspaper Archive with the title ‘O, Tis Love! Tis Love! (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk), from 1844.

At Abingdon, a youth named Robins was tried at the assizes for the unlawful abduction of Jane Willavize, a  “miss in her teens,” and the daughter of a rich farmer. The prisoner, a good-looking young man of 19, was the prosecutor’s under-carter ; and having won entrance into the heart of Miss Jane, her apartment was one night found empty. Robins’s room was also empty. The young folks in fact, had fled. 

The farmer was given a tip off and discovered them in private lodgings at Old Brentford, and gave the young man into custody, charged with abduction, the damsel being under age. At the trial, when examined, Miss Jane said the prisoner had found favour in her eyes, and they courted together secretly. It was not he who had proposed to run away with her. She proposed to him, this being a “leap year.”

The jury after hearing the story, convicted the prisoner of abduction, and the judge fined him ONE SHILLING which was paid immediately. The sentence was received with loud applause to the great scandal of the court crier.

The Christian Aid Walk set off from the Abingdon Baptist Church at 10 am this morning.

The Abingdon Boundary Walk set off from the Market Place at 11 am this New Year Day’s morning at the start of 2020.

Count how many people were on the walk on this video. There were a lot.

From about 12:30 pm, Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers performed at the Punchbowl and Kings Head and Bell and carried on playing music most of the afternoon.

WI Markets are one hundred years old today. They are now called Country Markets.

On the 14th December, 1919. the first WI Market was set up in Lewes in East Sussex. At first it sold produce grown and made by members of  local Women’s Institute branches, and then went on to allow small holders and ex-service men to participate.

At today’s Country Market in Abingdon there were lots of home baked produce including some very good mince pies. There were also jams and chutneys, and crafts.

I was told the first WI Market in Abingdon was 75 years ago. The market was held for a long time in St Nicolas Church hall, a building that used to stand behind St Nicolas Church. It was demolished when Abbey House was built and Abbey Close rerouted. The market then moved to the Roysse Room until 2014. Since then it joined in with the Farmer’s Market, and spent some time in the Charter Centre. It still takes part in Local Excellence Markets.

The Country Market now takes place every 2nd Saturday at the Salvation Army Church in Abingdon. There were reminders on tables that Christmas would not be Christmas without the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army came to Abingdon in 1887. I hope to bring more news about the Salvation Army and their new Captain early next year.

For over 30 years members of Abingdon Peace Group have held a short vigil on the morning of August 6th remembering the thousands of people killed,maimed and reduced to shadows on the ground when the nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on Aug 6th 1945.

Photographs of people remembering the anniversary are sent from Abingdon to Hiroshima to show solidarity. Prayer services, vigils and demonstrations take place around the world on the 6th, and the 9th, when the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

There are specific reasons in 2019 why these anniversaries should be remembered. In 1987 the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty was signed between the USSR and the USA to reduce the threat of nuclear war. Last Friday President Trump of the USA officially terminated that agreement after 32 years. Today tensions between India and Pakistan, two nuclear powers, are rising with direct rule being imposed by India on the special region of Kashmir.

Thankyou to Peter, Anne, and Tony for the pictures.