There were all kinds of boats on the River Thames in Abingdon this Bank Holiday Monday: some small, some big, some new,

some old. Chaffinch, seen here passing through Abingdon Lock, was built in 1929.

In my round up of events from Abingdon in August 1919 I did not mention that Mr A Baldwin, the Abingdon Lock keeper, received a silver cup from the Thames Conservancy for the prettiest flower garden and lock of the year .

Here is the flower garden this year – 2019. The house itself was built in 1928 according to the Thames Lock heritage board so Mr Baldwin lived elsewhere.

And here is a grainy B&W picture of Mr Baldwin with his winning garden from the Oxford Journal Pictorial (all Rights Reserved). Imagine vibrant colours!

As many of you will have read in the Abingdon Herald, the Kingfisher Canoe Club has been granted permission to put up a canoe storage hut on the land near Abingdon Lock – owned by the Environment Agency (it is the grassy area surrounded by trees indicated).

The Canoe Club had to leave their previous base on land owned by the army at Wilsham Road. The army will be demolishing and rebuilding their buildings on the site. Then a year or so ago the Vale of White Horse District Council backed out of a plan to allow the storage hut on meadow land near the lock.

So this plan is the last chance for the canoe club to carry on. They have a strong record of helping local residents get active on the river for over 40 years. They also do a lot to inspire and train young people.

There is still paperwork needs doing by the Vale to ensure the lease with the EA goes through. So that could still potentially hold up the project.

In the meantime , the canoe club are looking for grants and company sponsorship to help them with funding. They are a registered charity and are run entirely by volunteers with members. Please contact David Surman via davidsurman@hotmail.com or www.kingfishercanoeclub.co.uk.