Closure of Abingdon Monday Club after 56 Years

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After 56 years of providing a social space for adults with learning disabilities, the Abingdon Monday Club will close its doors due to a shortage of volunteers on 18th December 2023. The club’s organisers, Peter and Helen, who have been leading the club since 2003, expressed their gratitude to the dedicated volunteers and members who have supported the club over the years. They hope that someone in the community will come forward to establish a new organisation to fill the void left by Monday Club. I saw one member today, and he was very sad and said he would miss the club.

The organisers will give the members the club’s games, puzzles, and other items. They will also spend the club’s remaining funds on activities that benefit the members.

(The organisers were pictured at this year’s Clubs and Societies Day.)

Christmas Lights on Medlicott Drive and beyond

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As Christmas approaches, Medlicott Drive is adorned with Christmas lights, and attracts many visitors. Half the houses in the road are transformed into a winter wonderland because of this annual tradition. Lights can also be seen in nearby Nash Drive. They are on the Tithe Farm & Ladygrove Estate in South Abingdon.

Thomas Medlicott was the Recorder of Abingdon from 1675 to 1686 and 1688 to 1689, a Governor of Christ’s Hospital, and the M.P in 1689. The surname used to be spelled Medleycott or Medlycott. There is a long entry about him in https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/abingdon_people/thomas-medlycott.

The Tithe Farm & Ladygrove Estate holds an annual advent window display, similar to the one held at the Workhouse Estate. This house on Bridges Close, adjacent to the community room used by the local community association, also features an impressive display. The room was full of people when I took this picture so they could have been meeting this evening.

Books for Christmas

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Mostly Books has Ruffles by local author David Melling featured in their window at the moment.

The Bookstore has reindeer in the snow in their window and a selection of books. If you are wondering what to buy book lovers you know for Christmas, then both shops have selections on tables and more on the shelves.

Annabel from Abingdon has been writing a blog reviewing books since 2006, possibly earlier. In 2023, she has reviewed 116 books and aims to read and review 125. I often check out her reviews before deciding what to read. See https://annabookbel.net/.

Steve King also reminded me that his book ‘Now I grow oranges’ is still available. Martin Wackenier has copies on his Monday Market stall.

There are even a few copies of ‘Ten Poems about Abingdon’ available at the Bookstore and the Abingdon Museum. Most of the money from this book which I helped produce goes to the Abingdon Bridge charity.

Mayor’s Christmas Advent Service

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Breaking with tradition, Mayor Gwyneth Lewis opted for Trinity Church, the church of her chaplain, Deacon Selina Nisbett, for this year’s civic service. While the service was less formal than a full civic service, lacking the use of the Mace, it was still well attended by the town councillors. The councillors processed into the church at the beginning of the service.

The service began when the Mayor’s cadet read an advent reading, and the Mayor lit the second of the five candles on the advent crown.

The Fijian Fellowship Choir from Dalton Barracks sang two worship songs during the service.

Deacon Selina Nisbett, the Mayor’s chaplain, spoke on building a ‘highway of hope,’ drawing on the reading from Isaiah 40 by the Mayor about ‘Make straight the way for the Lord‘ . Selina encouraged the congregation to focus on their own ‘stretches’ of the path to peace. The service concluded with the National Anthem, ‘God Save the King.’

Afterwards people went through to the Conduit Centre for coffee and mince pies. This picture shows the Mayor, Deacon Selina, and one of the members of the Fijian Choir.