Write about Abingdon in 100 words

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Great Get Together
The Great Get Together normally happens at this time of year in the garden of St Ethelwold’s House. In 2020 because of the pandemic restrictions, people are invited to enjoy the garden, and remember what Jo Cox said … we have more in common than the things that divide us.
Great Get Together
We often walk round the garden.
Great Get Together
This evening we were struck by these red scabious.
Great Get Together
and the high grasses.

The garden is not a formal park and always surprises.
Great Get Together
The Abingdon Civic Society are running a competition.

Write about Abingdon in 100 words. Create a word picture of Abingdon. Find out more: https://abingdoncivicsociety.org.uk/activities/100-words/.

Abingdon Swifts – Here until late July

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Thank you to Catherine for this piece. Catherine is part of Abingdon Swifts Group
Abingdon Swift
You may have seen (and heard) the joyful antics of these birds over the past couple of weeks as they return from their long migration from Africa. A good map of their migration path is available here (https://www.hampshireswifts.co.uk/). Happily there are 4 extra nesting sites for them to inhabit this year, thanks to Churchill Retirement Homes. It is so good to be able to say ‘thank you’ to a developer that has made an effort to make a new building more beneficial to local wildlife.

If you are out on walks over the next few weeks, do look up to try to spot Abingdon’s swift population – they like to catch flying insects, with Abingdon’s tree-lined rivers and in its leafy parks being particularly good places to spot them. With a recognisable call, it may be that you hear many more than you see. The swifts will disappear to warmer climes at the end of July; they really are a sign of summer.

Swifts are like homing pigeons with their ability to find their way back. Each year they return to the same nest site, meeting their partner (they mate for life) ready to set up house. They are also long-lived, with luck, living to around 20 years. Only landing to breed, these birds clock up an extraordinary 14,000 miles (or so) in the air each year.

Traditionally, their nests have been in draughty gaps in the walls, and roof-tiles of our homes and out-buildings. As we become more energy conscious and insulate or re-roof our buildings with increasing effectiveness, the swifts can return to find that their ancestral nest is no longer available. This has contributed to swift numbers in the UK declining by 50% over the past 23 years. Increasingly, builders and developers are aware of this problem and are working, often with some ingenuity, to make buildings fit for habitation for both humans and swifts.
Abingdon Swift
The Museum of Natural History in Oxford is closed, but their webcams are showing pictures of young swifts. (https://www.oumnh.ox.ac.uk/swifts-in-the-tower-0). (Pictures from webcam on 22nd June at 20:20)

The Abingdon Swifts Group are also always happy to advise regarding the installation of swift nesting boxes.

Swift Awareness Week (27th June-5th July) would usually be celebrated with talks and meetings. Watch this (https://swift-conservation.org/) space for details about virtual seminars and meetings to find out more about these fascinating birds.
Abingdon Swift
P.S If anybody gets a good swift picture during Swift Awareness Week then please sent it to backstreet60@gmail.com and I will replace this final picture. St Helen’s Churchyard is a good place to watch swifts but they are very difficult to photograph.

Virtual Abingdon – Make Music Day

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Virtual Abingdon
Today was not only Father’s Day, but also the Virtual Make Music Abingdon Day. There were people performing from rooms in their houses. One group performed from a unknown field. The group called No Horses played from the Brewery Tap – which was otherwise empty.
Virtual Abingdon
Then there were groups that had recorded separately and been put together by the wonders of technology. The event was hosted by Make Music Abingdon. There was a virtual tip jar on paypal.

There are lots of virtual events happening in Abingdon. I found out about this from the Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council virtual events page. If you want more people to know about your virtual event then let them know.

Abingdon 100 years ago – June 1920

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Abingdon 100 years ago
5th June 1920
On Monday last the Abingdon Police had another field day in Abingdon for holding up motor cars for the production of licenses, and Mr Asquith, journeying from his Sutton Courtenay residence, was held up, but it proved to be blank, as the late Premier promptly produced his license.

The G.W.R. Company in their reply to the Abingdon Town Council’s suggestion that the Sunday trains on the Branch should be re-commenced, state that the circumstances did not admit of the facility being afforded.

The Abingdon Town Council has granted another £50 towards the equipment of the Local Museum of Natural History and Antiquities in the County Hall.

The Abingdon Bathing Place was re-opened for the sesion on Sunday last. The floods during the winter having destroyed a portion of the island on which the dressing boxes were built, only a portion of the island can be used at present.

12th June 1920

The Abingdon Railway Slate club members had an outing to Blenheim Park, Woodstock, on Sunday last. The journey was made by brakes, and supplies for luncheon and tea were taken with the party. The day was greatly enjoyed.

The Abingdon branch the C.E.M.S. has through lack of interest of the majority of its members, suspended its active working sine die. (Church of England Men’s Society)

The report of the Abingdon Free Library has been issued and shows satisfactory use being made of the reading and lending department. During the year ended March 31, the period the report covers, 14.304 volumes were issued from the lending department.

Abingdon 100 years ago
19th June 1920

The graded supplies at Abingdon Cattle Market on Monday last were 4 beasts and 56 sheep, 24 of the latter being allocated to Oxford. Calves met a fast trade and realised up to £l7. Supply pigs was rather short, some strong stores made up to 47s.

At Abingdon Borough Police Court: J. H. Hammond, Trinity College, Oxford; Nellie Alden, Eastwick Farm. Abingdon, and F. Hugging, butcher, Southmoor Road, Oxford, were each fined 10s for failing to produce motor licenses when requested by the police.

Abingdon 100 years ago
26th June 1920

Roysse School Founder’s Day took place on Friday last, when the usual service was held in St Helen’s Church, and a wreath placed upon the Founder’s (John Roysse) tomb. A reception of parents and friends was afterwards held at the school, and a cricket match between past and present, the former winning by only one run. On Saturday the usual regatta was held ou the river, where the prizes were distributed by the Lord Lieut of the County (J. H. Benyon, Esq.)

The June Fair was held as usual in the Abingdon Market Place on Monday last, but only a few small stalls and miniature roundabouts were erected.

There was a large attendance at a Council meeting in connection with the Unionist Association of the Abingdon Parliamentary Division, the business being to consider the replacement for the sitting MP, Brig-Gen Wigan, D.S.O.. Mr Arthur T Loyd was selected and in his acceptance speech said: I must thank you very sincerely for the great compliment you have paid me by this selection. Believe me, it is an honour I appreciate very highly, and I also appreciate the great responsibility which attaches to the position in which you have placed me. I must confess I am an extraordinarily bad politician, for I suffer from an awkward inability to say one thing and mean other (applause). Probably I shall get the better of it, but if I betray a disposition to say what I mean and try to do what I say l am going to do, I hope you will put it down to inexperience (laughter and applause) …

Thank you for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette on the British Newspaper Archive. The picture of Mr Asquith about to drive his car is from The Graphic also on the British Newspaper Archive. The Wills’s cigarette card is from a private collection.