Spike emailed me last Thursday. He said “Took a few shots at dawn today. Even Didcot power station can look pretty sometimes”
Thanks Spike.
Didcot power station may start to look pretty, but Abingdon looks like paradise at that hour
from Wilsham Road.
On Sunday 400 crews came to Abingdon to row the 2000 meters from Culham Lock to Wilsham Road as part of the 2012 Spring Head of the River time-trial.
The Abingdon Rowing Club don’t get to row as they are all busy officiating.
It is an early season event but in this picture it looks like a race away from Didcot A before the smouldering giant finally blows.
These guys made it to the finishing line.
After their race, our Abingdon stewards asked boats to keep moving. There is no real time for a post mortem. “I’m so sorry, I just lost it totally near the end. ”
The 400 crews, 100 in each of 4 times slots, row back to the landing stages in Rye Farm Meadow.
Carry their own boat back to the trailer.
Only then is there the chance to put their feet up.
John sent me some pictures of boats moored on the Thames by Abingdon. He says “Seen tied up today. Nobody at home but I wonder does anyone know the stories of these boats, especially the Vrouwe Johanna of Amsterdam, dated, I think, 1899!”
He also sent pictures of Daisy D and two other similar traditional looking narrow boats – probably far more modern. They look compact on the outside for wending their way down narrow inland waterways and under low bridges but still afford plenty of living space inside.
Any interesting facts for John? Could Vrouwe Johanna cross the English Channel? What are the advantages of a Dutch Barge (if it is such) v a Narrow Boat? And why do people want to live in boats anyway?
With Thanks to John for the pictures.
(Pictures of boats on the Thames in Abingdon taken last Sunday)
As far as I can gather 2012 is the first time that Abingdon has officially been called Abingdon-on-Thames.
Looking through Around Abingdon – Archive Photographs compiled by Nigel Hammond, I do see that shops and businesses did use Abingdon-on-Thames extensively on adverts in the early 1900s. There are also some road signs with the words Borough of Abingdon-on-Thames – but I cannot find evidence it was ever the official name before now.
Looking through Abingdon directories in the library from 1860 through to 1973 I just see the words ‘The Borough of Abingdon ‘ above the Borough Arms.
Does anybody know better?