Geese and Swans

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I was watching, from a distance, a pair of Canada Geese with four goslings near a mother swan with five cygnets. They were on the bank while the male swan was on the water some way away.

The geese came closer and closer to the swans and just before reaching the swans, the geese got into the water.

It was at that point that the male swan came towards them looking like a a war galleon from the Spanish Armada, and attacked the first defending adult goose a number of times. The swan did not attack the goslings, and the mother swan did not get involved in the conflict.

The geese and goslings then went back onto land, and after that the male swan ignored them.

The female swan took the cygnets out on the water and brought up water weed which she strew in the way of the cygnets to feed.

After feeding for a few minutes, the swan family then swam away under Abingdon Bridge.

Bank Holiday Walks and Market

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On Bank Holiday Monday, a series of walks were organised by The Friends of Abingdon Civic Society. Five were guided, and there were ten themed trail leaflets.

The Friends had their AGM last Wednesday at the same time as the Town Council cinema meeting. In the last year, the Friends have organised Heritage Open Day, and walk days like today. They also have a project to produce a photographic archive of the town. They were active in looking at planning applications and notifying both the town and district council of concerns. They are involved in the Conservation Area Appraisal for the Albert Park area, and the Abingdon neighborhood plan. They also act as a pressure group on major issues and have worked with local residents to press the District Council to resolve problems over the derelict Upper Reaches hotel site.

Most of the Monday Market was also on the Market Place despite it being a bank holiday.

The World Poohsticks Championship 2023

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The World Poohsticks Championship was held on the bridge near Sandford Lock on the River Thames today.

At 11 am, Tigger was bouncing with excitement, wanting to see the first pooh sticks dropped into the gentle current. The championship involved a series of heats. Participants leaned over the bridges edge, prepared to release their different coloured sticks. Then at a signal, they dropped the sticks upstream of the bridge and crossed to see whose stick emerged downstream and crossed the finishing line first.

Umpires from the Abingdon Rotary Club, who organised the event, watched the finishing line like owls.

At about 1 am, Tigger could not contain his excitement as just two players were left in the final, waiting to drop their sticks.

The red stick finished a few lengths ahead of the blue stick.

The red stick’s handler was congratulated as the World Poohsticks Champion for 2023. He is Bertie S (age 9).

The next world championship is a year away but that does not stop people playing the game at any time, whatever your age, just as Pooh Bear played it with with Christopher Robin, Tigger, and Eeyore.

The annual World Poohsticks Championships was previously held at Day’s Lock on the River Thames from 1984 to 2018. There has been a gap of four years with no competition because of lack of resources and then Covid. This was the first time at Sandford Lock. It has moved from downstream to upstream of Abingdon.

Pentecost and Whitsuntide

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Pentecost and Whitsuntide are two different terms that refer to the same Christian observance. Both terms have their origins in the celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the New Testament of the Bible (Book of Acts, Chapter 2: 1-4). There was a strong wind, then tongues of fire, then disciples started speaking in different languages, and went out preaching. Pentecost is now considered the birthday of the church.

The phrase ‘Come Holy Spirit’ can be seen outside and inside St Edmund’s Church. It is a simple prayer, by the church, to be energised in a similar way to the early church at Pentecost.