A New Chapter for Abingdon’s Churches

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The coming and going of church ministers are significant events for the churches concerned and the wider community.

One such change is the departure of a beloved figure, Reverend Dr. Charles Miller. After serving as Rector of St Helen’s Church for 18 years, Dr Miller will deliver his final sermon on All Saints Day (November 3rd).

Another exciting change is that Revd Georgina Bondzi-Simpson MBE has become the new Minister of All Saints and Trinity churches. At a recent welcome service held at All Saints, Revd Bondzi-Simpson was officially welcomed by church leaders and by the Deputy Mayor of Abingdon, Councillor Rawda Jehanli.

Guide Dogs and Vaccines in Abingdon

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Abingdon’s Market Place was fairly quiet today, with only a single stall present. The stall was raising funds for Guide Dogs and offered a variety of items, including Christmas cards, calendars, cuddly dogs, secondhand CDs and books. Guide dogs were placed at the entries to the Market Place with collecting buckets.

Outside of the market, the only busy area was the Charter, where locals were lining up for their annual flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. A staff member was directing those aged 65 and over with appointments to a separate queue.

Abingdon’s History in Picture Postcards

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Abingdon Museum has an exhibition of old picture postcards. From the town centre to parks and historic landmarks, the postcards provides a view into Abingdon’s past.

The exhibition features a diverse collection of postcards, including images of local hotels, residential roads, schools, churches, almshouses, and the river. The museum has displayed the more interesting messages on the back of some of the postcards. Many come from Elizabeth Drury’s Collection.

The museum has also curated a large collection of historical photographs, projected onto a small screen.

The exhibition is scheduled to run until December 22, 2024. You can buy a postcard of Abingdon or the White Horse at the Museum Shop, send it to a friend and say, ‘Wish you were here’ – just like in the old days.

P.S: A selection of postcards from my old collection can be seen on the internet at from my postcard collection blog. The only Abingdon one however is a French lady with an HMS Abingdon sailors hat.

Abingdon Grape Harvest

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The Ox and Bucks Wine Collective, a local community group, concluded their 2024 grape harvest last weekend in Abingdon. Members brought in grapes from their vines, pooling their efforts to produce a collective wine.

The harvest collection took place at two locations:
* Bucksum near Thame on September 29th
* Peachcroft Farm, Abingdon on October 6th

Thanks to Margaret for the pictures.

The volume of grapes was down on 2023. Despite rising temperatures, erratic weather can make it difficult to cultivate grapes in a cooler climate.

The harvested grapes will be processed and bottled, with the finished wine expected to be available for collection in May or June 2025.