The ‘Made in Abingdon’ exhibition opened in the the Community Free Space this morning. The first visitor was asked to cut the Heritage Bunting and open the exhibition.
The exhibition features a number of Abingon industries from the past. Of them only Penlon is still making things in Abingdon
The second visitor was interested in the display showing leather from Pavlova and gloves being made in the factory in East St Helen Street. She had once worked there and was the first lady to work on the setting out machine. Traditionally the men downstairs did the cutting, and the women upstairs did the sewing, and so she made history at the time by operation the machine that cut the glove patterns .
John Foreman, pictured here with the Town Crier, did a display on Davis Boat Building, but most of the exhibition was put together by Elizabeth Drury. It runs until and including, next Saturday, Heritage Open Day.
Visiting this afternoon I found it fascinating and a little sad. All those things that were once made in Abingdon – I wonder what things are made here now?
Congratulations to all who assembled the pictures and texts; I was surprised to read that the Chiswick Flyover in London was made in Abingdon.