Despite the rain a very good crowd turned out for the Abingdon Bun Throwing to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabth II.

Among the Bun Throwers was the Local Member of Parliament for Abingdon, Nicola Blackwood.

The BBC had sent along a team trying out various devices to throw buns. Some looked like catapults, and others were more like canons.

I’m not sure if any of them could beat the Abingdon People’s champion who won the recent World Bun Throwing Championship. Both the canon and he were getting bun far across the Market Place.

That is a long way as you can see here.

The Mayor of Abingdon

and twenty drenched councillors threw the majority of the 6000 buns, some specially marked with 60 to mark 60 years since The Queen’s Coronation,

to the drenched people below. I hope you enjoyed the bun throwing. There was a magnificent turn out for such a rainy day.

Somebody did tell me that Sunday was expected to be a deluge and they were right. But everything went ahead on Jubilee Sunday and we saw some of the character that makes our country great.

Abingdon’s largest Jubilee Street Party went ahead. I hope they others managed as well.

With no traffic coming along High Street the bus shelter made a good shelter for this group from Lombard Street.

In fact all the bus shelters got well used.

The dignatories had no such cover I’m afraid. The Mayor underwent three drenching during the day: at the Street Party, at the Bun Throw, and at the Prom in the Park.

It was not just English people. This marque had people from several different countries, and they were letting people try their foods.

All of these people came over from Abingdon Virginia showing that all Abingdonians have what it takes.

Some people had charity stalls, such as the Friends of Abingdon Community Hospital.

And although a number of trade stalls were booked I think only the one turned up. So they deserve a special mention. Wood Turning specialist Vallis Green. He will be back near Christmas.

There were too many to mention who braved the rain and made a Jubilee party in the rain to celebrate the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Yates Lettings from Stert Street had organised a competition of childrens drawing for the jubilee.

The competition was judged by the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, including their new fool – a one time Mayor of Abingdon. You can see more of these pictures on my other blog  Sixty Sixties.

Cllr Alice on the town council has Chaired the Jubilee Committee and worked hard to make all this happen.

This was the man selling Union Jack hats, flags, and foil balloons.

On the stage at Fun in the Park there were also lots of dance groups, with a large crowd to watch.

Young girls (and some boys) near the front were trying to imitate most of what was going on.

There were all the usual community stalls but it was the first time I had noticed the Radio Amateurs. They were talking to other Radio Amateurs round the world, sending out our Fun in The Park jubilee greetings. They did get through to people from twin town Colmar, and hope in the near future to set up an event on the Market Place and communicate with all the twin towns.

The first event of the Jubilee weekend was the Tithe Farm and Ladygrove Estate’s Jubilee Celebration. It took place from 10-1 today in Ladygrove Meadow (off the Drayton Road in South Abingdon). A well known local school teacher was there at the gate to give out tokens for burgers and things. All was free.

Judging the Pricesses and Super Heroes …

was an ex Mayor of Abingdon who helps out at the Ock Valley Flood Group.

Other flood group members were also involved in the organisation, In the grey is  Jim King, who got a Mayor’s Award, recently, for his work on behalf of the Flood Group.

I was very impressed at how many had turned out on what was not the brightest of mornings. People hope to send via this blog congratulation to Her Majesty the Queen on sixty years of  remarkable dedication to the nation and to the commonwealth. Not sure she will look in today though. As she has a lot on.