Storm Bert Sweeps through Abingdon

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After a week away, we’ve returned to find that Abingdon has had snow and frosts while we were away, and this weekend, the Local Excellence Market was cancelled due to a storm forecast.

Wreaths have been removed from the war memorial to prevent being blown about.

Heavy rain has swept across the town. Storm Bert, a deep low-pressure system affecting much of the UK, brought 3.3 cm of rain in the 24 hours up to 7:00 PM, according to data from the monitoring station at the Abingdon Sewage Works: Abingdon Rainfall Data.

A late afternoon walk by the Thames in Abingdon

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Pictures from a few days ago.

The sky is blue and the river is calm, reflecting the colours of autumn, from yellows to rusty reds. On the right, the bank leads from Abingdon Bridge to Abingdon Lock, a short distance of half a mile.

Looking across the river to Cosener’s House, we see the newly restored stone wall and grotto, their surfaces now clean and bare. In the garden, a summer house sits near a golden tree that glows in the sunlight, a contrast to the darker evergreens.

At Abingdon Weir, looking back over the churning, frothy water, a “mackerel sky” stretches across the horizon. The cloud pattern resembles the scales of a fish, with scattered patches of white and grey clouds. The low sun brightens the central clouds, silhouetting the bare trees as evening approaches.

St Michael’s Christmas Craft Fair

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At St Michael and All Angels Church last Saturday there was an art and craft fair together with a jumble sale

There were lots of stalls and every corner was taken. Even the font served as a display area for clothes and bags.

You could guess the name of the bear to win a bear, and guess where Reverend Paul Smith was hidden on a grid of the church and win a box of biscuits. I did not see Paul who must be extra busy these days now Revd Charles Millar has moved away.

Handbell ringers provided musical enjoyment, and a representative from Flexicare shared his story. As the parent of a disabled child, he was grateful for the organisation’s trained sitters, who enable parents to attend events and outings like school meetings or the cinema. He now volunteers for Flexicare, who help families within a ten-mile radius of Oxford, including Abingdon. Half the money raised from the event went to Flexicare, and half to church funds.

Nigel Carter Celebrates 80th Birthday at the Phab Club

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Nigel Carter, the organiser of the Phab (Physically Handicapped Able Bodied) club, along with his wife Barbara, recently celebrated his 80th birthday. To mark the occasion, their son Paul organised a special evening of karaoke, followed by a party spread.

The club is held in Christchurch hall. The festivities continued in the church, where the male voice choir rehearse at the same time as Phab every Thursday evening. The choir sang a medley ending with “Happy Birthday” .

Nigel expressed his gratitude to the choir and shared a personal anecdote or two and then revealed that he is half Welsh (he couldn’t say which half, upper or lower).

He then had the privilege of choosing a song to be performed in his honour and selected the Welsh hymn, “Calon Lân” which the choir sang beautifully.