Category Archives: Events

Digital Switchover Day 1 – worries remain

Digital Switchover Day 1
The digital switchover help van was on the Market Place today, but I did not see queues of worried BBC2 viewers climbing the ramp to seek assistance.

Today the BBC2 analogue signal vanished for ever. BBC2 can now only be watched on digital in Abingdon
Digital Switchover Day 1
In order to watch Champions League football tonight I had to switch back to ITV analogue. For some reason ITV digital has never been strong enough to hold a picture together in our house.

In two weeks time, on Digital Switchover Day 2, the remaining analogue channels, including ITV, will be switched off for ever in Abingdon. The bandwidth released should be enough to allow them to boost the ITV digital signal so we can watch more Champions League football in our house – but the worry remains.

Fun in the Park 2011

The annual fun in the park was on this afternoon. As usual there were lots of community stalls, and as the weather held out there were also lots of people.
Fun in the Park
This stall is run by the north and south Abingdon Children’s Centres.
Fun in the Park
At fun in the parks there is always the chance to try something new – like Scottish Country Dancing.
Fun in the Park
or dash under the coloured parachutes before they comes down.
Fun in the Park
I had a go at the quiz at the Green Gym stall.
Fun in the Park
I did hear that one of the ex pubs we visited yesterday had an incident soon after. The fridge started leaking gas and Stert Street got closed as a result. The ex pub was the George and Dragon.

Nasio Trust Summer Music Event

The Nasio Trust was formed to build centres to care for children affected by HIV in Kenya. They also work with young people locally who learn a lot by raising money to travel to Kenya to help. The project is called Operation Exit 7 – a link can explain better than me
Nasio Trust Music Event
This group of young people, some who currently live at The Foyer, in Abingdon, had organised today’s fund raising day on the Market Place.
Nasio Trust Music Event
There was also a group there from Berinsfield involved in a similar project.
Nasio Trust Music Event
I’m afraid I must have missed the performance by traditional African Masai Dancers, but did have some very good rice and peas thanks to ACKHI from East Oxford.
Nasio Trust Music Event
There were also a number of music performances during the day, face and nail painting, cakes, a bouncy castle, a roundabout, fairground hammers, and two tombolas – one at 50p and one at a pound a go.

Abingdon Fairtrade Event 2011

Here are a few more pictures from the Fairtrade event on the Market Place …
Fair Trade Day
Mike Moon, the secretary of the Abingdon Chamber of Commerce, was the man who organised the day, along with the Chair Paul Townsend.
Fair Trade Day
Dame Alison Rooke and Dame Lesley Legge were helping to promote Fairtrade products, with free samples. Skinny Hippo also had some things on display alongside.
Fair Trade Day
I was there with a stall called Go bananas for Fairtrade. With a little help from friends I gave away 5 crates of nanas – thanks to Waitrose who did the Fairtrade group a deal.
Fair Trade Day
There is evidence that bananas make you happy, so we could have made a lot of people happy.
Fair Trade Day
It took a few goes but Duncan Brown eventuallly adapted to the flight characteristics of   Fairtrade bananas.
Fair Trade Day
Waitrose were there providing free samples of Fairtrade products, and information about the Waitrose Foundation – a partnership created in 2005 to help improve the lives of the farm workers and smallholders who grow their produce in Africa.
Fair Trade Day
The Co-op were also there and a friendly rivalry developed between the two. Co-op were raffling a hamper for Mencap and giving away Fairtrade chocolate.
Fair Trade Day
African Children’s Fund were there ….
Fair Trade Day
Pizza Express, who do some Fairtrade products, were giving out samples.
Fair Trade Day
Traidcraft have been doing Fairtrade, and promoting Trade Justice, in Abingdon far longer than anybody else, apart from maybe Oxfam.
Fair Trade Day
There was also Face Painting near the Added Ingredients and Choose Abingdon stalls.