On Saturday the Didcot, Abingdon & Wantage Talking newspaper celebrated their 25th Anniversary.

The charity provides weekly audio recordings of the Didcot Abingdon and Wantage newspapers, free of charge, for the blind and partially sighted.

Volunteers read (and record) the local newspapers on a Wednesday evening every week, and listeners receive a USB memory stick in the post a couple of days later. Programmes can also be heard on their website, where there is a history of the charity at http://www.dawntn.org.uk/AboutDawnHistory.htm

The celebration featured special guest Chris Davies, a finalist in The Big Painting Challenge on the BBC this year.

The Oxford Mail had an article about the Talking Newspapers 25th anniversary including pictures of a recording http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/16263764.Talking_newspaper_celebrates_25th_anniversary/.

Thanks to John for the pictures used here.

Congratulations to the Abingdon Herald who this week celebrate their 150th anniversary. This notice appeared in other local newspapers in July 1867 to let people know of the new publication ….

The Abingdon news that week saw Rev. A. Potts preaching two eloquent sermons at St Helen’s; heavy rain flattening corn; Abingdon getting beaten at cricket; and an outing to Nuneham by the Abingdon Social Club and Philanthropic Society, where the members enjoyed quoits and skittles.

On the front page of the 150th anniversary edition we see that the Truck music festival at Steventon was very muddy after rain, and that there are concerns it is getting too commercial. Also that Vince Cable, the new leader of the Lib-Dems, visited Abingdon.

Thanks to Michael for this report ….

The Abingdon Naturalists Society 50th Anniversary party was held at Coseners House on Saturday, July 8th.

The Society was formed in May 1967 after the founder members attended a WEA (Workers Educational Association) course in natural history. About 60 past and present members came and there was much reminiscing and looking at photos from days gone by.

My wife Eliso Bloom made an amazing cake with swans (the society logo), a pond with ducks, snakes, flowers etc. It was cut by our President, Richard Lewington, a wildlife artist who has illustrated many books particularly on butterflies and moths.