The 2nd Abingdon Scouts organised a community fireworks display behind Long Furlong Community Centre in Abingdon this evening. The 2nd Abingdon Scout Group was founded in 1922 and was first known as 2nd North Berks Scouts. They moved to their present location off Farm Road in the 1960s.

It had been raining before the firework display and a large crowd waited with umbrellas. The Abbey Brass Band played music. There was a BBQ with hot dogs and beefburgers, and canteens with hot drinks provided by the scouts. Then came the countdown for the fireworks.

During the display, the rain stopped but started soon afterwards.

It was good that the annual display coincided with November 5th, Guy Fawkes Night. “Remember, remember / The fifth of November / Gunpowder, treason and plot.” The only bonfire was one filmed and shown on a screen along with adverts for sponsors and the scouts.

There is more information about the scouts at https://2ndabingdonscouts.org.uk/.

All Hallows is a religious festival where the dead are remembered on the night before All Saints Day. Before then, it could have been a pre-Christian festival. Halloween has become a time for dressing up, spooky parties and trick-and-treating.

It is also a chance for people in Abingdon to get creative with wool, wood, and pumpkins.

The postbox on the  Market place has been decorated with a spooky topper.

The Blue Boar has been made to resemble a House of Horrors with wood from Oxford Wood Recycling.

Pumpkins of different sizes and colours are there on display for people to get creative at Fabulous flowers.

Ashley sent me a picture of six bats at St Helen’s Wharf at the weekend, all crocheted from wool.

When I went to St Helen’s Wharf there were only three.

‘Crochet bats cannot fly! Not when they are made of wool. Not when they are attached to the railings with cable ties.’

‘Holy crocheted bats, Batman! Only a criminal could callously cut the cable tie and take the bats.’

‘Yes, Robin! It does sound batty, but my bat sensor has picked up the trail of the criminal mastermind in question.’