First Concert with our new Musical Director

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Dear Abingdon Blog,

Firstly my apologies because you’re the gentleman I’ve spoken to many times in the Market Square when our clarinet and saxophone groups have played and I’m afraid I don’t know your name!; I was wondering if you would be kind enough to mention the forthcoming Christmas concert by the Abingdon Concert Band on your blog as tickets are now on sale. The details are all below:

The concert is titled “Christmas Joy” and will be held at St Michael’s and All Angels Church on Park Road, Abingdon on Saturday 14th December. The concert starts at 19:30 and finishes at 21:30. Tickets are available on the door or in advance from The Bookstore or Newbury Building Society, priced £7.50 (£5 concessions). Details can also be found on our website www.abingdonconcertband.org.uk .

This will be the band’s first concert under our new Musical Director Neil Brownless and will include a mixture of old favourites and festive music including the music of John Williams, West Side Story and Troika.

Two new Abingdon magazines have hit the streets!

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After a fact finding visit to Abingdon Community Hospital, a group of Year 5 children from Thameside Primary School have produced “Thameside Tiger Hospital Care“, a fully-illustrated introduction to the staff they met during their visit, and what services the hospital provides … including podiatry, where they look after your feet, and Radiographer, the person who does X-Rays. This is a great introduction to the hospital!

Meanwhile, Thomas, Oliver, Miya, Harry, Jamal and Phoebe, from Year 6 at St Nicolas C of E Primary School, interviewed Councillor Lesley Legge, from Abingdon on Thames Town Council, and Heather Brown from The Choose Abingdon Partnership. Their magazine St Nicolas world of Abingdon explains some of the ways in which Abingdon caters for tourism. They had some interesting questions and answers. For example

“We wondered why Abingdon changed its name to Abingdon on Thames.”

“They replied that technically it has always been known as Abingdon on Thames. The Thames is a high profile marketing name which is good because if someone types Thames in to Google it will come up with Abingdon..”

Both magazines, and a good number before, are the result of workshops run by TrinityLearning, with the help of The Community Covenant. The project enables forces and local children to find out about their community and work together as a team. Thanks to the help of Welfare Officers at Dalton Barracks, every family stationed there will receive a copy of both magazines. (The magazines are quite big and take time to fully download from the links provided above.)

Shop Moves that begin on 28th November (a chain reaction)

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On November 28th New Look will be moving into one of the larger new shops along Bury Street.

At about the same time Philosophy Hairdressers will be moving to the Market Place.

The newsagents currently known as ER Goff  are approaching the end of their lease at Bridge Street, and think a move  just around the corner into the premises vacated by Philosophy will make sense.

They will become Simon’s News. Mr Simon Escreet is the Proprietor.

Just over the road from Simon’s News, the premises vacated by The Bowls Shop – and used by Outdoor Traders as a second shop between whiles, is to become Sean Antony Hairdressing. Sean is moving in town from Ock Street.

Good Luck to all of them.

What’s on This Week – Posters seen at Mostly Books, Abingdon Library …

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On Wednesday afternoon: ADFAS have a talk on ‘Old Father Thames – The River in Art’, at the Guildhall.

On Wednesday evening : ‘How can we make Transition real?’ at St Ethelwolds.

On Thursday: ‘The clothes of an ordinary woman in the seventeenth century’ at the Northcourt Centre Hall.

On Saturday: a Christmas Bazaar at Christchurch – all proceeds to N.S.P.C.C.

And on Saturday: a rival Christmas Bazaar at Long Furlong Community Centre in aid of Long Furlong Buggy Club.

On Saturday evening: a once in approximately five year opportunity to hear a live concert of Mozart’s Requiem in Abingdon at St Helen and St Katharine School.