On June 8th 1953 The ‘Two Angry Women of Abingdon’ was performed by Abingdon Drama Club – the first ever performance at the Unicorn Theatre in Abingdon.

In 1959 Orlando, an opera by Handel was performed. It was to be the first of many Handel operas brought back to the stage at the Unicorn in Abingdon by Alan Kitching. The Unicorn and Handel have became part of Handel operatic history.

This evening to commemorate those sixty years there was another Handel opera – Semele – performed by Jackdaws Opera Plus. Jackdaws run music courses and Opera Plus helps young singers get on. Semele has been performed as workshops in schools and the performance was brought to the Unicorn Theatre tonight.

Tickets were £30 each and were sold out.

The audience included Colin Kitching, the son of Alan kitching, and David Madden, who was a child actor in the mid-50s (more plays than operas), and Christine Lightfoot, a musician from the early operas.

The modern dress Handel had great humour and was enjoyed by all those I spoke to afterwards.

(Thanks to Hester for the pictures)

To celebrate 460 years of the Charity Christ’s Hospital of Abingdon there is an exhibition at Long Alley Almshouse this weekend.

In the hall, used for Governors’ meetings, there are pictures and books and manuscripts from the archives on display. The earliest book of meeting minutes, dating from 1577, is open, with a typewritten transcription alongside. There is an album showing the pictures taken by The Times Newspaper when they did a feature on almshouses in 1939. Another photo album shows Abingdon Bridge being rebuilt in 1927.

In 1668 Samuel Pepys visited the Almshouses and donated half-a-crown into the poor box. The poor box is still there – opened at Christmas.

Last Saturday Christ’s Hospital of Abingdon held a lunch at the Guildhall for their residents, staff and suppliers as part of their 460th anniversary celebrations.

The occasion also marked the retirement of the charity’s clerk, Chris Nutman, after ten years of service. After a very convivial lunch, Chris was driven off to enjoy his retirement in unusual fashion by Tom Robinson, the park keeper of Albert Park (run by Christ’s Hospital).