Geoff Dunbar cartoon exhibition at Abingdon County Hall Museum

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The current exhibition at Abingdon County Hall Museum is a fun one, featuring the cartoons of Geoff Dunbar, a local artist and animator who has received national acclaim, including a BAFTA. The exhibition includes a video about his work and his fascinating recollections of Abingdon.

The video helps to explain some of the cartoons, such as the one of the joke shop. The Artist tells of a second-hand clothes shop in Stert Street, which during the summer holidays, was transformed into a joke shop, and which became a firework shop with Guy Fawkes in the window before November 5th.

The exhibition also features cartoons of present-day Abingdon, and the fun is to see how many caricatures you can recognise. The Artist sez, ‘any resemblance to any person living or otherwise, is purely coincidental…’

Some of the coincidental persons were invited to the opening of the exhibition on October 7th. Others staffed it. The exhibition runs until December 23rd.

Abingdon County Hall Museum is run by Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council.

A34 Lodge Hill Scheme Approved and Full Funded

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The A34 Lodge Hill Interchange scheme has secured full funding. The additional funding needed came from Homes England, and Pauline Schaffer, Director of Infrastructure Funding at Homes England, says the project will unlock 820 high-quality homes.

Construction is anticipated to start in summer 2024, and last approximately two years. The project will add south-facing slip roads to the A34 at Lodge Hill. Oxfordshire County Council approved the scheme in September.

The relevant press releases are:

A34 Lodge Hill scheme to be fully funded (23 Oct 2023)

Works to improve junction capacity at Lodge Hill given planning permission (11 Sep 2023)

River Ock – October 2023

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The water churned after it came over the River Ock weir. It was the brown of tea and full of muddy particles. A stream of bubbles flowed down the other stream, caused by the turbulence from the other weir further up.

With fewer leaves on the trees, the birds are becoming easier to spot. A kingfisher flew upstream, and a diving bird torpedoed downstream, both moving too quickly for me to get a good look at. But I did manage to see a moorhen.

The paddling area (from yesterday’s raffle painting) is now too deep to paddle, and the rope swing is submerged. The river level was at its highest yesterday, but it’s still high today.

The footpath to Tesco has become a watery cul-de-sac, after the flooding.

The field between the River Ock and the A34 has been flooded.

Lots of gulls have come in to enjoy the new temporary flooded field.

The water has washed over many of the reeds, leaving the river looking more like its old self.

Showcasing the Artistic Spirit of Abingdon

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The Abingdon Artists’ Autumn Exhibition 2023 kicked off with a preview event for friends and family of the participating artists on Monday, October 23rd. The exhibition will be open to the public from Tuesday, 24th to Saturday, October 28th at Christchurch Barn, Northcourt Road (10 am to 4:30 pm).

The Autumn Exhibition features a diverse range of artworks, with many members exhibiting up to three pieces each.

Jonathan Leach, Co-chair of Abingdon Artists, said, ‘We don’t judge what you see. The paintings have been selected by the people themselves. So there’s no committee standing in judgment saying, “You’re you’re good enough. You’re not!” We are a very democratic organisation, and people make their own choices. And I think we look around, you will see the standard is fantastic.’

‘We have about 90 members. It’s thriving, and we are just the tip of the iceberg because when we’re out sketching in the town centre, often other people come up and say “I’m interested. I do a bit of art as well.”‘

Organising an exhibition on this scale requires dedication and teamwork. Jonathon expressed his gratitude to the numerous individuals who contributed to the event’s success.

Visitors to the exhibition can not only admire the diverse artworks on display but also purchase original paintings, cards, and the annual Abingdon Artists Calendar. A raffle featuring a painting of the River Ock, at the paddling area beside Ock Meadow, offers an opportunity to support the group’s endeavours.

Abingdon Artists is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting art and providing a platform for local artists to showcase their work. The group organizes regular exhibitions, workshops,  sketching sessions, and lectures.