Monthly Archives: June 2019

Abingdon Town Mace in Black

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Abingdon Town Mace
At St Helen’s Church this afternoon the Abingdon Town Mace was there at the Mayor’s pew. The Mace was draped in black for the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Audrey Hasnip, the Mayor in 1999-2000.

Her husband, Keith Hasnip, had a similar service almost six years ago. He had also been Mayor.

Both services began with the hymn Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven and ended with the hymn Lord of all Hopefulness. Both services asked for donations for the NSPCC, and at both Reverend Dr Charles Miller officiated.

Reverend Charles gave a sermon for Keith’s service, but at Audrey’s service there was no sermon. Instead there were a lot of family tributes. There were also readings from The Wind in the Willows, Harry Potter, and Winnie-the-Pooh.

Regarding the Great Mace, Charles II’s restoration was in 1660, and from that date maces had to have the Royal Emblem again. During Cromwell’s time they bore the emblem of the House of Commons. An inscription at the base says “John Mayott, Gentleman, Mayor when this Mace was made for ye Corporation of Abingdon in ye County of Berks …” John Mayott was Mayor in 1651-1652 as well as 1659-1660. So 1660 could be when the mace was made, or remade with the Royal Emblem. (details from Abingdon and its treasures -1956)

St Ethelwold’s blue borders

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Blue Borders
It is very good to be able to walk round the gardens of St Ethelwold’s House in East St Helen Street. The borders are wonderful at the moment.
Blue Borders
I sometimes attend the share a poem group at St Ethelwold’s. Like many of the activities there is usually poster in the front window. The June theme for poems was gardens, and one of the St Ethelwold’s gardeners attended and read some good poems on gardening.
Blue Borders
Susie Howard, who does a lot on the garden, told me back in March or April that they would have blue borders, and it is very evident now.

Save the Children at 100

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Save the Children
Save the Children has had 100 years of fund raising, caring and campaigning for underprivileged children and the Abingdon volunteers were in the town centre yesterday.
Save the Children
Yesterday morning, in Abingdon, volunteers moved their stall underneath the County Hall as it was raining. They had a tombola and were selling plants and cakes and had second hand goods. Their quiz is also on sale for £2.

In 2019, among many other causes, Save the Children are helping children return to school following the damage of Typhoon Tembin in the Philippines.
Save the Children
Back in 1919, Europe was still being blockaded and that meant children were starving and there were not enough medical supplies. The founders campaigned to make people aware of the blockade. They then set up a fund to get supplies to the children.

You can find more about Save the Children’s history here. (Thankyou to the British Newspaper Archives for the advert from the Bucks Examiner of  30th May 1919).

South Abingdon Children’s Centre – Crayon Fence

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Crayon Fence
At the South Abingdon Children’s Centre, on Caldecott Chase, the Mayor of Abingdon, Cllr Charlie Birks, did a bit of DIY to fix the last crayon to the fence.Crayon Fence
He also gave a speech thanking everybody who helped get the centre back up and running. It is now run by the Abingdon Carousel Charity.

It is the end of National Volunteers Week – a week in which the UK celebrates volunteers and says thank you to them for the contribution that they make. Charlie thanked all the volunteers who have given time to get the children’s centre working, or who volunteered elsewhere in Abingdon.
Crayon Fence
There is a named crayon for each of the organisations that have helped provide funding or done work to make sure the Children’s Centre opened.

Other news from the Children’s Centre is that a new Saturday Club has started and it runs between 9.30am and 12. They do things like stories, science, cooking, planting and gardening, music, art and crafts. Parents or carers stay with the children, who can be any age – although activities will mostly suit pre-schoolers.