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The Town Crier was seen on Sky News on Saturday announcing an event that was about to happen at the Guildhall. Behind him were the stalls of a Health & Beauty promotion put on by Abingdon businesses.
Gym trainers from Feelgood Fitness were there. They are the fitness centre with the Statue of Liberty at the front.
Abingdon has two successful chiropractoring clinics. On the Market Place was a stall from McTimoney the Chiropractors. They have a large clinic and training facility on the Fairacres Estate.
Forresters, the hair stylists, were there and so was Steve King who helped set up the event with the Chamber of Commerce.
The Mayor, Duncan Brown, is seen here with one of the practitioners from the Natural Health Clinic – usually to be found down West St Helen Street.
The Deputy Prime-minister, Nick Clegg, was in Abingdon for the first of a number of question and answer sessions he will be doing.
The Abbey Hall (the modern annex of the ancient Guildhall) was full to overflowing – even though the event had only been announced a couple of days ago.
There were questions on: the NHS (getting rid of admin layers, and nurses loosing lunctime break), Academies, Banks, Cuts, Benefit Cheats, Taxi charges locally, a bridge /weir near Witney, building planning regulations, should he sack a colleague who had an affair, and one about a recent Daily Mail cartoon where Obama says to the Prime Minister on parting “”Goodbye, Dave. and give your partner Clegg my best wishes for the birth.””
Nick Clegg said this was something politicians have to expect – when they are trying something new and different. Now he is in power I was very much aware of security people round him, especially coming out between building and car. Not something you expect round a Lib-Dem leader. He engaged well with the audience – like during the leaders TV debates he would remember previous questioners and acknowledge them again when re-raising a previous point.
Nicola Blackwood, the new Conservative MP for this area, was in the front row. Dr Evan Harris, her Lib-Dem predecessor was at the side. Nick Clegg came representing the coalition at this Q&A session, but at the same time, the choice of Abingdon – a very marginal Conservative seat – shows that the contest for votes in future elections is still very much on between the coalition partners.
Under a Royal Charter, the Vintners’ Company (in red) and the Dyers’ Company (in blue), two Livery Companies of the City of London, have a part ownership with Her Majesty the Queen of the mute swans on the River Thames.
In the distant past swans were a royal delicacy.
Nowadays they don’t get eaten but if caught, the Vintners and the Dyers ring the swan’s feet on the Queen’s behalf, aided and abetted by animal experts from places like Oxford University .
The week long census ends at Abingdon Bridge…
where a toast is made to their patron the Queen. The actual time they will arrive in Abingdon is unpredicatable. Last year Culham Lock was not working and they were delayed. This year they made good time, found the swans with the six Abingdon born cygnets near the Marina, and finished at around 5 PM.
They did not catch the swan with the two cygnets seen in last weekend’s blog.
Everything is unloaded on Naggs Head Island before they go to one of the local pubs for a few more drinks.