Lighting the sky with Abingdon Fireworks


The 2nd Abingdon Scouts put on a spectacular fireworks display this evening behind Long Furlong Community Centre. It was a chance to enjoy some loud bangs, see some bright flashes and support a local Scout group. The 2nd Abingdon Scouts have over 100 young people in their activity programmes.

The ground was wet after the previous rain, but the weather was fine this evening. There was a good view of Orion overhead, with its nebula, before the fireworks created their own nebulas.

Most of the audience were young families, but there were a few of us trying to recapture the wonder of the fireworks of youth. The smell of gunpowder is even more evocative than the bangs and flashes.

The audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy the fireworks display. There were cheers and gasps during the display and, at the end of the show, an ovation.

Wood Carving for experts and beginners


The Oxford & District Woodcarvers is a club for woodcarvers of all levels of experience, from beginners to advanced. The club has been running for 18 years and was founded by Brian Eastoe. Since Brian’s retirement, Jeff Wheeler has taken over as tutor.

This week, the club has exhibited and demonstrated wood carving in Unit 24, Bury Street, Abingdon, and has stimulated interest in the very ancient art and craft of wood carving. Wood carving demands both artistic and manual skills. One of the members was telling me that it is a collaborative process between the carver and the wood to reveal what is hidden inside.

The club meets on Thursday evenings between 7.00 and 9.00 pm during term time at John Mason School, Abingdon.

Congratulations to The Bookstore on its 25th anniversary!


The Bookstore, an independent bookstore in Abingdon-on-Thames, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month. Thanks to Ian and his staff, and the shop’s commitment to providing excellent service and promoting local concerns, The Bookstore has continued for 25 years, even as Amazon and e-books have changed the landscape of the book industry. Ian said that their first-ever customer still visits the shop.

Two highlights for me, writing this blog, are the long queues that stretched down the precinct each time a new Harry Potter book was released and the long queues when Terry Wogan came to visit, not once but twice, and being able to meet the man.

Today was quieter, with rain falling.

Ian also features in one of Geoff Dunbar’s cartoons in the Abingdon Museum Exhibition. Geoff had drawn an Abingdon bookseller from his youth and wanted to show him next to a contemporary bookseller.

Early Christmas Lights


Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council’s contractor has started installing the Christmas lights, including the Market Place candles, which have been a tradition for many years.

This year, there are also new lights, including a new tree outside the Guildhall. This conical plastic structure is an eye-catching addition to the town’s Christmas decorations, with a large windmill-like snowdrop at the top and snowdrops around the base.

We will have to wait until the Christmas Extravaganza on Saturday, 2nd December 2023, to see the new tree in all its glory.