Empire Pageant at Caldecott House
The Empire Pageant, organised jointly by the Abingdon Constitutional Associations and the Empire Pageant Committee, was held on Thursday in the grounds of Caldecott House, by kind permission of Mrs. Bailie. The event was highly successful, featuring numerous stalls and competitions such as bowling for ham and cake weight guessing. The Abingdon Town Band provided music throughout the afternoon and for dancing in the evening.

The pageant emphasised unity, cooperation, truth, and love, and was staged by Miss Green of Hermitage on the lawn at the back of the house. Characters represented included Britannia, Liberty, Justice, Spirit of Progress, Spirit of the Flag, and representatives of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, West Africa, India, West Indies, Malay, and Ceylon. At the close, Major Glenn MP thanked Miss Green and congratulated the performers. .(They included Morris Dancing by boys from the Church School)

Earl of Oxford and Asquith Stung by Wasp
While motoring through Abingdon on Thursday, the Earl of Oxford and Asquith was stung rather severely on the arm by a wasp. On his doctor’s advice, he remained indoors for a day or two and was unable to open the Liberal fête at Faringdon, which was instead opened by Mr. Anthony Asquith.

First Sod Cut for Abingdon Church Hall Extension
Last evening, Lady Gore-Brown cut the first sod for the extension of Abingdon Church Hall, which is expected to be completed within four months. Plans for extending the hall have been discussed for several years, and last year’s major fundraising effort made this possible. The building contract was awarded to Messrs. Randall & Son for £2,720. The committee already has £1,140 7s. 10d in hand, including £59 raised at the sod-cutting event during which The Mayor of Abingdon released balloons as a fundraising competition.

Abingdon Free Library Expands Collection
Abingdon Free Library has recently added 500 modern fiction titles, with a similar number of non-fiction books expected soon. Last year, 30,000 volumes were issued to a population of 7,167. The library encourages public use, free selection from shelves, and provides reading lists to foster a reading habit. Not everybody realises they can find books themselves from the shelves and continue the old way of requesting books from the catalogue.

Oxford Cricket League – Division 1
Semi-Final (Abingdon Pavlova vs Woodstock): Played at Abingdon, the match was drawn, with Abingdon Pavlova scoring 126 and Woodstock 104 for 8. Play continued until 8 pm, when Woodstock appealed for poor light and the umpires upheld their claim. Woodstock refused to complete the match on the following day and asked for a replay instead. And so it was judged that Pavlova should have a pass to the final.

Final (Abingdon Pavlova vs Morris Motors): Played on the Hertford College ground, the final was completed on Sunday after rain delayed the Saturday start. Morris Motors won decisively by an innings and 77 runs, before a large crowd.

Prolific Tomato Plant at Caldecott House
A remarkable tomato plant, grown by Mr. Juggins in the greenhouse at Caldecott House, bore about fifty tomatoes, weighing over 71 lbs in total.

Primitive Methodist Church Harvest Thanksgiving
The Primitive Methodist Church celebrated Harvest Thanksgiving on Sunday, with large congregations attending morning and evening services. Mr. W. Bramwell Hill of Swindon preached on the theme “In an Ancient Garden” in the morning and “Until the Harvest” in the evening. A public meeting on Monday evening presided by Mr T Leach featured Reverend G. E. Wallace on the text “Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness.” Decorations were arranged by Mr. and Mrs. Franklin and Mr. A. J. Argyle and others, with musical contributions by Mr. H. Horsley on the violin. The celebrations concluded with a sale of goods.

Angling Societies Visit Abingdon
Several angling societies visited Abingdon recently. Over 400 anglers from Birmingham fished Appleford and Wilsham Reaches, and other area, with modest catches of dace and gudgeon. A smaller group returned the following Sunday, enjoying good sport along Wilsham Reach, bringing 28 bags to the scales. Both societies expressed appreciation to the town.

Master Bakers’ Annual Outing
The Abingdon and District Master Bakers’ Association held its annual outing on Thursday, with 300 members enjoying a day in London. Some visited Wembley, while others attended the Bakers’ Exhibition.

Abingdon Cycle Dealer Bankrupt
Mr. Thomas F. Cavey, cycle dealer of 15 Bath Street, Abingdon, was declared bankrupt. Mr. Cavey began business in 1921 with £90 capital but cited declining trade, strong local competition, and high expenses as reasons for failure. His debt totals £88. A public examination of Mr. Cavey is scheduled for October 5 at County Hall, Oxford.

Thanks to the Oxford Journal Illustrated for the photographs of Abingdon events from the British Newspaper Archive. Also thanks to the Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette from the British Newspaper Archive for story details and the North Berks Herald microfilm in the library  for story details and the underwear advert..