Remembrance Day parade and service in Abingdon

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There was camaraderie as uniformed groups gathered at the Market Place and along Bury Street. Normally they gather in St Helen’s Church, but because of Covid it was thought better to meet outside.

Soldiers marched to the War Memorial, leading the parade.

The Mayor of Ock Street can be seen here representing Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers. Many of the Morris Dancers joined up in WWI and some were injured and one is known to have died. (See http://atmd.org.uk/ww1/ )

There was a large crowd gathered at the War Memorial. This is the moment when the flags are lowered before the two minute silence where people join in remembering those who fell in the wars.

We have seen pictures of WWI and WWII and footage of Afghanistan and Iraq. There are people in Abingdon who still live with the memory of wars where they served, or had to escape as refugees.

2021 is the centenary of the Royal British Legion and their flag was prominent as groups marched back from the War Memorial to salute dignitaries in front of the County Hall.

2021 is also the centenary of the Abingdon War Memorial.

Clare, who organises the poppy appeal in Abingdon, returned to look at the tributes before going on to the Royal British Legion club.

She sent me this picture of a tribute done by pupils of Our Lady Abingdon.

The cutouts feature names from the Abingdon War Memorial. Clare said ‘It has real wow emotive factor and it’s great to pupils get involved.’

Abingdon Author – Jenny Gould

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Jenny Gould is from Abingdon and she wrote No More Good Girl: Overcome Anxiety, Dump the Guilt and Free Yourself – a new self-help book.

Jenny is an experienced therapist and also a broadcaster. Jenny was a regular guest and Agony Aunt for BBC Radio Oxford for fifteen years.

Here is Jenny signing copies of her book at Blackwell’s in Oxford. Thanks to Mike Gould for this picture.

The book is intended for anybody suffering from ‘Good Girl’ syndrome. You can find out more at Jenny’s website http://www.cbtoxford.co.uk/.

Armistice Day remembered + thankyou for poppies for those who fell

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An Armistice Day Act of Remembrance was held at the Abingdon War Memorial at 11 am today, as well as many other places in Abingdon.

Armistice Day is remembered each year on November 11th to mark the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany in Compiègne, France, for the end of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I. It came into force at eleven am on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918.

The event was attended by the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Andy Foulsham, other councillors, members of the Royal British Legion, and among the public, a group from Thameside School.

Clare Oldfield, poppy appeal organiser, said, ‘I spotted poppies like these these on the doorsteps of various houses in Exbourne road, Bath Street and Ock Street. What a wonderful thing to wake up to. Isn’t Abingdon amazing? Support for the poppy has been overwhelming this year and this is a fabulous tribute. I don’t know who did them but thank you.’

The Exbourne Road poppies are up again and poppy sellers will be out and about in the town centre, Waitrose and Tesco on Friday and Saturday.

Aldi Plan on Wootton Road Approved

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The VWHDC (Vale of White Horse District Council) planning committee unanimously approved the application for an Aldi store on the Wootton Road.

Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council supported the application as did local councillors speaking at the meeting. 290 people wrote in supporting the application. 13 were against.

The main advantage to locals is a large store nearer north Abingdon and Whitecross and Wootton, which should cut down on the need to travel, and could cut down on traffic round Abingdon.

The main concerns were cycling and access. The current cycle path is used by school children coming from Wootton, and area, and will not be expanded to the recommended width for such a development. The cycle path will also be impeded by the new store junctions. The right turn out of the store could also cause queues.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby said this development does mean a change of policy for VWHDC who in recent years have ensured new supermarkets were built in town centres, not out of town, for reasons of town centre vitality. The empty Peacock store in Abingdon town centre could be expanded to 929 sq.m (currently 738 sq.m). The new Aldi is 1,315 sq.m.