Over the weekend the Friends of Shippon held an event called ‘Let’s Celebrate Shippon’ at the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene. The church looks very similar to St Michael and All Angels in Abingdon, and was built just a few years earlier in 1855. The village of Shippon near the church would be recognisable to people 100 years ago. Farm implements at the back of the church linked with those times.

With the coming of RAF Abingdon, which then became Dalton Barracks, the newer part of Shippon was dominated by the airfield and housing for the forces. The church porch celebrates the RAF being there. And a window in the church shows the life of a Padre at Dalton Barrack.

Another church window celebrates the 2121 Abingdon Air Cadets who are still going strong.

There was also a montage of village life with a Summer Fayre; posters showed dances, drama, the WI, and the annual book sale at the church. The Friends of Shippon run a Bridge Club, Book Club, and Singing for Pleasure Club.

So Let’s Celebrate Shippon, just over the A34 from Abingdon

Crowds lined the banks of the River Thames for the 17th annual dragon boat racing organised by the Rotary Club of Abingdon Vesper.

The Mayor of Abingdon, Councillor Alice Badcock, attended the event, and can be seen here with the Printer Pirates before their first race.

There were 19 teams, listed in the programme, battling it out against other teams on the river. Money raised by teams through sponsorship goes to their own charity and towards charity projects organised by Rotary Club of Abingdon Vesper.

Community stalls were also there raising money for charity and promoting forthcoming events. For example, the next Race for Life from the big pink battle HQ is a muddy obstacle course in South Park, Oxford on 17th September.

Also there to make it a complete family fun day were a funfair, music, and refreshments tents.

The Abingdon play and activity day returned to Southern Town Park today. It was organised by the Oxfordshire Play Association and the Vineyard Church, and there were lots of other groups taking part

There was drumming and creative stalls… a go cart track on the basket ball court …

Winnie the Witch was there with Wilbur the cat …

there were bubble making wands, and bubbles you could roll about in…

a bike that made smoothies, and much much more.

Also good to hear of moves to try to save the South Abingdon Children’s Centre. There was a meeting last week on that very subject that included the Play Association.

Today there was Rainbow Cake on sale at the Whippet Kichen at Abingdon Lock.

Abingdon Town Council had voted by 6-5 to not fly a Rainbow flag as part of Oxford Pride next year. Since then a petition has been raised, and the story has gone national. So now Abingdon is fast becoming a rainbow town.

The proposal to fly the Rainbow flag had been put forward by the Lib-Dems on the Council and opposed by Conservatives. There was a Lib-Dem tombola on the Market Place this morning.