Monthly Archives: November 2019

Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in Abingdon

Primary Care Networks
Healthy Abingdon invited people interested in our local health services to a presentation and discussion on Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in Abingdon.

Primary Care Networks were set up in July 2019, after six months of planning. They group GP practises into larger units covering between 30 – 50,000 people. Abingdon is split into two PCNs. One covers The Abingdon Surgery and Malthouse Surgery, in the town centre, with 33,657 people. The other covers Marcham Road Health Centre and Long Furlong Health Centres in Abingdon, Berinsfield Health Centre and Clifton Hampden Surgery with 30,043 people.

PCNs will allow closer coordination between GP practises to allow things like better extended hours cover. They will also get more funding for extra specialist services in the area. One such service that has already been set up is Social Prescribing. More services with funding will follow.

Social Prescribing is something GPs have always done. It is referring people to activities in the community, possibly college courses, possibly for help from voluntary groups (The Abingdon Bridge – counselling, and Health Walks Abingdon are examples). Treatment from the NHS is not the only answer.

Having a specialist Social Prescriber allows GPs to do this more effectively. Emma and Emma, the two ladies who job share the role, told us something of what they did and how they help people. There followed an interesting round table discussion about what people in Abingdon would like out of social prescribing.

About forty people attended the meeting at the Conduit Centre, at Trinity Church, in Abingdon.

Abingdon 100 years ago – November 1919

Abingdon 100 years ago
Saturday 1st November 1919
The annual North Berks Agricultural Society corn show was held in the Abingdon Corn Exchange on Monday last. Only a few entries were received, and the judges—Mr Soundy, of Reading, and Mr W. Frogley, of Challow—made the following awards:—Class 60. for the best 10 quarters of white wheat: 1st prize, Mr H. Aldwinckle


Class 39, for the best 5 acres of mangolds, the first prize of £5 was won by Mr C. Taylor, of Radley. The Judges report that the entries in the swede and mangold classes were of surprising merit, and difficulty was experienced in nominating the winners.
Abingdon 100 years ago
Saturday 8th November 1919
The Abingdon “Royal Arch” Lodge of Freemasons held an Installation Chapter at the Council Chamber on Thursday evening in last week, when the Principal elected was Mr J. G. T. West, and Mr C. D. Adkin 2nd Principal.

The annual meeting of the Abingdon Bowling Club took place in the Council Chamber on Wednesday evening of last week, the President, Mr A. E. Preston, presiding. The accounts showed a balance in hand of £30. The officers were re-elected.

The Abingdon Town Football Club, in the match on Saturday last with the Abingdon Comrades, on the latter’s ground, in a North Berks League match, beat by two goals to one. The Club has not suffered defeat this season at present.

There was considerable interest taken in the Municipal Elections at Abingdon on Saturday last. The retiring Councillors were Messrs A. E. Preston, F, G. Palmer, T. Skurray, and W. F. Gadd, the two latter not seeking re-election. For the four seats there were seven candidates, viz., Messrs Preston and Palmer (retiring members), Mrs E. Reynolds (a member of the Abingdon Board of Guardians), Mr W. Cordell (a land, steward under the Small Holdings Act), Mr W. Bernthall (Organising Secretary and Liberal Agent for North Berks), Mr H. P. Simpson (outfitter), and Mr A. E. Tombs (grocer). The result of the poll was declared amid much excitement and the cheering of a large crowd late on Saturday evening, as follows: —Preston, 1,201; Reynolds, 813 Cordell, 640; Simpson, 607 ; Bernthall. 605; Palmer. 515; and Tombs, 204.

lt is unanimously agreed that the selection by the Town Council of Abingdon of Robert West Langford as the new Mayor is an excellent one, and will give general satisfaction in the town. Mr Langford is senior and managing director of Messrs R. F. Langford and Sons, Ltd., coal and corn merchants, carrying on an extensive business in Abingdon, with branches in Faringdon, Wantage, Steventon, and Challow. As a young man he entered the Town Council in 1913 at a contested election, and headed the poll, 521 votes being recorded in his favour. He is a member of the ‘Abbey’ Lodge of Freemasons, organist of the Trinity Wesleyan Church, and takes a keen interest in the affairs of the town.

Whilst returning from Oxford on Saturday, Mr Reginald Stacey, of Abingdon, found a man in a ditch on the Radley Road, who had fallen off his bicycle. He was a discharged soldier, named William Waine, of Harwell, who had been to the Medical Board at Oxford, and on returning had a severe heart attack whilst riding. Assistance was obtained and he was taken to the house of some friends at Abingdon.

Abingdon 100 years ago
Saturday 15th November 1919
At the Abingdon Borough Court on Tuesday, before the Mayor, and Messrs. Downing, Tatham, Paul, Clarke and Ricketts … Ptes Jones and Lost, of the R.A.O.C., Didcot. were fined 2s each for riding bicycles without lights at Abingdon on Nov. 1st.

The street lighting is to renewed on the pre-war standard, and the tower clock of St. Nicholas Church is to be lighted during the winter months from dusk to 11 p.m.

The new Unionist agent for the Abingdon Division North Berks is Captain S. T. Austin, Berks Yeomanry. He served as staff officer under the command Brig.-Gen. J. T. Wigan, the sitting M.P. for the Division.

The Town Football Club on Saturday met Roysse School on their ground, and won by 4 goals to 2.

The Great Silence.— The two minutes silence on Tuesday was duly observed at Abingdon. The siren at the Pavlova Leather Factory gave the signal. At 11.5 a short service of commemoration of the fallen in the was held at St. Nicholas Church. The Comrades of the Great War placed a large laurel leaf wreath at the Memorial Cross in the Square, inscribed Lest we forget.

Abingdon 100 years ago
Saturday 22nd November 1919
The Abingdon Town Band commenced a series of winter dances in the Roysse Room on Wednesday evening, which was well attended.

The Abingdon Town Council have reverted to the old custom of holding their quarterly meetings the morning instead of in the evening.

The Abingdon Cottage Hospital has had £50 bequeathed by the late Mr William Harris, of Croydon, formerly of Abingdon.

The Abingdon Comrades of the War held a successful whist drive at their Club Room on Thursday last, prizes being given by town tradesmen. The prizes were awarded, to Misses Thorless, Clay, and Armstrong, and Messrs Clarke, and W. Pocock.

Two children, Arthur and Vera Branson, of Ock Street, Abingdon, whilst crossing the road near the Post Office collided with a light car, the wheel of which ran over the girl’s left arm and the middle of the boy’s body. They were taken to the Cottage Hospital where it was found that no serious injuries had been the result.

The Abingdon Ladies’ Party held their annual sale of work on behalf of the Church Home and Foreign Missions, in the Abingdon Corn Exchange on Thursday last, when there was a large attendance and ready sales. Tea was served and a ladies orchestra was a pleasant item. The proceeds amounted to upwards of £112.

Abingdon 100 years ago
At the Abingdon Board of Guardians meeting on Monday last, the Clerk reported that an increase had been made by the Oxford Board for maintenance of children in Cowley Poor Law Schools from 12s. to 17s 6d. per week, which the Board agreed to.

There was a good gate on Saturday at Abingdon on the occasion of a League match between Abingdon Town Club and the Abingdon Pavlova Leather Factory Club. The game aroused much interest between the spectators. The Factory won by 2 goals to nil. This was the first match this season lost by the Town Club.

During an auction sale at Abingdon last Friday week of tractors and ploughs by order of the Board of Agriculture the motor car of a farmer attending the sale was stolen. Mr W. Mobbs, of Warren Farm, Culham, the owner, left it in Caldecott Road, whilst he went into the sale meadow, and on returning found it had disappeared. It was a Morris two seater car and painted grey.

The Abingdon Comrades of the War now number 250 it was stated at a general meeting held last week. In response to an appeal for subscriptions and donations recently issued, the sum of £58 13s. had been received by the treasurer, Mr P. J. North.

The Rev B. C. MacKeown, M.A, one of the Abingdon parochial clergy and late chaplain of H.M. Forces during the War is giving addresses to men only on Monday evenings in St Nicolas Church, Abingdon, on the subject of ‘The War and Religion.’

Another human skeleton has been found by the workmen engaged in the alterations being carried out at the ‘Horse and Jockey Inn,’ Abingdon, the teeth of which were in good preservation. A few weeks ago the workmen on the same premises found several human skeletons under the flooring.

The subscription list to the Abingdon Roysse School War Memorial Fund has reached the sum of £1,303 6d.

Thankyou for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette. The announcements came from the North Berks Herald

Flatulent Cows v Pleasure Boating on The Thames

Flatulent Cows v Pleasure Boating on The Thames
Looking at one Abingdon shop window earlier today, I saw some talks on offer. The Abingdon Carbon Cutters have a talk, on Wed 20th Nov 2019 – by Chris Church of Friends of the Earth, on Local Climate Action Now!
Flatulent Cows v Pleasure Boating on The Thames
The Cow has been blamed for damaging the planet by breaking wind, but Neil Rowe will be speaking on behalf of the Cow. You will have to go to the Atom Society talk to hear the Cow on Thu 21st Nov 2019. This follows a short AGM.
Flatulent Cows v Pleasure Boating on The Thames
More than three men in a boat is another talk the same evening – charting The rise and fall of pleasure boating on the Thames.

If none of these events are of interest then look on the Town Portal at https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/events to see whether there is anything else in Abingdon of interest.

First Phase of Christmas Lights in Abingdon

First Phase of Christmas Lights
Some Christmas Lights are already on in Abingdon. In Bury Street the lights were put up last night and turned on without ceremony. The rest of the town’s lights were put up last week and will get turned on at the Extravaganza. This two phase turn on is quite normal for Abingdon where the company running Bury Street do their own thing.
First Phase of Christmas Lights
The Book Store has got some reindeer and snow to make the window festive. Other shops in Bury Street are also looking festive.