Youth Speaks – Public Speaking Competition

6 Replies

Thanks to James for this…

The local round of Youth Speaks, a national public speaking competition for schools, sponsored and organised by Abingdon Rotary Club, took place last Friday at Steventon Village Hall.

Four Abingdon schools took part, Abingdon, Larkmead, Our Lady’s and St Helen and St Katherine. Three of these schools fielded both an intermediate and a senior team, with Abingdon School fielding just a senior team.

Each team consisted of three speakers, an introducer, a main speaker and a summariser. Topics were varied, including the search for aliens, dementia, body building and the limits to our knowledge.
Youth Speaks
The winners of the intermediate category were Larkmead whose team gave a very amusing presentation on the subject of body language, with many demonstrations.
Youth Speaks
The senior category was won by the team from St Helen and St Katherine. They gave a most informative and moving presentation on the subject of female health issues in the third world.

Abingdon Rotary Club President, Chris Ronaldson, awarded the prizes, and the winning teams will take part in the next round which takes place in Witney on the 28th January.

Repair Work in Progress – Please Bear With Us

Leave a reply

Oxfam Repair Work
The workmen will soon be in at Oxfam in Abingdon. The floor, that has been supporting businesses at that address for over a hundred years, needs to be replaced. Oxfam have been there for nearly 30 of those years.
Oxfam Repair Work
So all the trinkets have been cleared away to make space.
Oxfam Repair Work
The clothes and books, fairtrade products and crafts etc have been put in storage to clear the floor.

If all goes to plan Oxfam will be open again in two weeks time.

Town Crier announcing Local Excellence Market next Saturday

4 Replies

Town Crier
The Town Crier was out and about in town today announcing that there will be a Local Excellence Market next Saturday.
Town Crier
Also I have been asked to mention that next Saturday there will also be the second running of the Abingdon Wassail at the South Abingdon Children’s Centre..
Town Crier
And a public meeting is to be held at St Ethelwold’s House (30 East St Helen Street) on Tuesday 26 January 2016 at 7 pm for those who would like to explore practical responses to the desperate plight of asylum seekers and refugees who arrive in the Abingdon area. Temporary accommodation is needed and they will hear about local charities that support families to make a room available. For those who can donate money, St Ethelwold’s has established a fund to make a room available on an ongoing basis. There are other practical needs such as language lessons and food donations. The meeting will include a speaker from Oxford City of Sanctuary. Please let the office at St Ethelwold’s House know if you are coming so that they can arrange a larger room if necessary on 01235 555486 or at ethelwoldhouse@btinternet.com.
Town Crier
Also I noticed today that Patisserie Pascal has re-opened after an extended New Year’s break.

The Stone Faces of St Helen’s

2 Replies

Stone Faces at St Helens
A lot of the stone faces that look out from the tower and walls of St Helen’s Church in Abingdon have been worn away by frost and wind and rain. You can only guess what they looked like, and how long they have been up there.
Stone Faces at St Helens
Other faces are made of sterner stuff. There is a south facing head that continues to look at the River Thames with stern unweathered disapproval.
Stone Faces at St Helens
Up near the top of the tower there is one grotesque that will always be afraid of heights
Stone Faces at St Helens
The Green Man, beneath one of the window arches, continues to spew out leaves year on year. Nothing will stop him.