Saturday 17th June is the day when the residents and businesses of Ock Street elect a mock mayor for the next year… The results of the election can be heard some time after 4:15pm outside the Brewery Tap. The new Mayor is then paraded down Ock Street. Throughout the day morris dancing can be seen in and near the town centre, and down Ock Street.

Also on Saturday is the Trinity Church Fair from 10 to 12:30, and the St Edmunds School Fair 12:30 – 15:30.

And on Sunday the great get together in honour of Jo Cox takes place at St Ethelwold’s House 12:00 to 3:00.

The annual Music in The Park was a sell out. The event is like one big party with many family and friendship groups converging on the Abbey Grounds to party and picnic together, and enjoy the music with everybody else.

There were bands like Bigtopp, an energentic band, with a new take on ska;

and the AGC Rock Band – an army band from the Adjutant General’s Corps. Very good and popular they were too.

The evening clouded over, after a sunny day, and there were a few drops of rain at one point, but that soon passed and didn’t scare anybody.

The evening concluded with a lot of flag waving, including many Union Jacks, and at least one Rainbow Flag …

as Abingdon Town Band took to the stage led by the inimitable Steve Rich.

They started with some modern classics. The song 500 miles went down particularly well with people up front stomping the 500 miles, and photo bombing my camera.

The evening concluded with You Will Never Walk Alone, and music from the Proms … Land of Hope and Glory, Rule Britannia, and The National Anthem.

The evening finished with a reprise of the music and some spectacular fireworks. We went safely home afterwards to hear of another terrorist attack in London and pray for those affected.

A lovely day for the annual Fun in the Park, and the Mayor of Abingdon-on-Thames, Jan Morter was to be seen going round talking to all the different groups taking part.

The Green Gym have a full programme of work this coming summer including a number of sessions battling Himalayan Balsam. They will even be joined by the Sonning Common Green Gym to tackle the Himalayan Balsam on the Ock Path – Tesco end – on June 24th. It was rife last year, and could take over Abingdon if left unchecked.

Abingdon Scottish Country Dancers were first up on the big stage – used by both Fun in the Park, and Music in the Park later. There is a very quick turn-around between the two events.

There were six or seven different army regiments represented with different stalls. 7 Rifles is a Rifles’ Reserve Infantry Battalion, based at the Edward Brooks Barracks in Abingdon. The Rifles were formed in 2007, partly from the Royal Berkshire Regiment – who had a long assocation with Abingdon, and were allowed the Freedom of Abingdon.

On the Mind Stall, people were being encouraged to lift gym weights, and their household equivalents in weight. It is part of the Southey Way, a fitness programme that helps you build a strong body and mind #LiftYourMind.

There were a number of gazebos strung together where the Church in Abingdon had art and craft, face painting, refreshments, and a prayer space.

A dog on a tricycle amazed people with his witticisms on the way in and out of the event.

The event is organised by Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council, and there was a lot more on offer than featured here.

This is the biggest event in the Abingdon Calendar, attracting a huge number of people. Many come primarily to see the air show, but there are a lot of other attractions besides.

In the Arena there were, among others, falconry displays, Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, and The Oxford Caledonian Pipe Band.

In the music tent, seated on bales of hay, the audience listened to singers, choirs, troupes, and bands including the Mangledwurzels – a tribute band to the Wurzels who had a number one hit single ‘Combine Harvester’ in 1976.

The Country Show also attracts a lot of ex military vehicles, and re-enactors. These soldiers could have served France in the Algerian War of Independence, from 1954 to 1962. That war ended in Algeria getting independence from France.

MGs and other vintage cars were there in big numbers. This particular MG is well known in Abingdon, but others came from far and wide. There were a group of 18 MGs from Shropshire who came over for the weekend to take part.

This fire engine has Wallingford on the side, as that was the last place it served, but it served in Abingdon during the 1960s, and attended the Abingdon Maltings Fire in 1968.

Then there were about 20 steam traction engines, and many many stalls – community and trade. They seemed to be laid out differently this year so more of them could enjoy the air displays which were on the other side.

The air displays didn’t go totally to plan.

There was one emergency landing on the grass. Fire engines and ambulances were very quickly in attendance, and the pilot was take to hospital for checking out. So hopefully the report I heard, that it is not too serious, is true.

That led to a delay of 45 minutes before flying could resume. After the flights resumed, the Great War Display team gave an exciting display with about eight aircraft in the air together chasing each other about, simulating WWI fighting, while explosions boomed as they were shot at from the ground.

There were also things for younger children including amusements, ice cream, animals, and Punch and Judy. The young lady on the right is one of the new police cadets that have just restarted recently. It is an alternative to army, navy, an air cadets.

Cadets take part in neighbourhood policing initiatives, community activities and events. This was their first event. To find out more go to https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/join-us/cadets/