Autumn term begins on 3rd September for a lot of Oxfordshire’s schools. Prices in Abingdon have useful stationary.

Parents can consult with each other and internet sites, like mums.net, about how to prepare for the first week at school. Mumsnet.com have a lot of tips about starting school.

Thankyou to the Abingdon NCS group A for this.

We are a group of young people who for our NCS programme are holding several events this week. On Monday we will be doing a sponsored dog walk, on Tuesday a collection for Abingdon Emergency Food bank on the market place from 10:00-15:00 and on Wednesday a family fun day at Fitzharrys school from 10:30-14:30. The food bank collection will only be for food donations so we would appreciate if people brought long life food donations.

Their Abingdon NCS group A has an instagram page with pictures of activities https://www.instagram.com/abingdona_program4/

(NCS is a voluntary personal and social development programme for 15–17 year olds)

The fields between Sutton Courtney and Didcot Power Station attracted crowds to view the demolition of the final three cooling towers.

People had gathered from before 6 am as the expected explosion and demolition was to be between 6 am – 8 am. Then just before 7 am there was a siren, and one chap sent up a drone to get an aerial view.

At 7 am there was an explosion and the towers began to fall to the ground.

It only took a few seconds

for all three to collapse.

There was a cheer from the crowds when they were all down.

People started to head off as the clouds of dust cleared.

I heard screams and saw a yellow flash in the field behind us. Through a hedge I could see what looked like bright lights chasing people. There were rumours of a transmission explosion.

At about 7 am, there were power cuts back in Abingdon for a short while.

The Oxfordshire Chilli Festival was happening on Abingdon Market Place today.

It was also the last day that the last 3 Didcot Power Station cooling towers were visible from the County Hall roof. They are scheduled for demolition tomorrow morning between 6-8am.

This is how they looked today from the Sustrans cycle path between Sutton Courtney and Didcot.

There was also an open garden at the exotic garden at 53 Springfield Drive, and they had lots of visitors.

and lots of plants to admire for visitors, and cakes to eat. Donations and proceeds go to Maggie’s Cancer Centre and Blue Cross.

Back at the Chilli Festival there were chilli plants for sale,

chillies, and many different chilli sauces and foods cooked with chilli.

Bands played throughout the day followed by the chilli eating competition.

After all other competitors had been eliminated the last two competitors could not be separated and so they were given a pint cup full of chillies to see who could eat them the fastest.

The winner, by a half pint, was last year’s returning champion, the Queen of Chilli, Shahina.

Proceeds go to Mind – the Mental Health Charity.