In the last 24 hours Union Jack flags have been put up in the town centre and along Ock Street. Some are on buildings.
Some are on Lamp Posts.
In two weeks time there will be the first Diamond Jubilee celebrations since 1897. I have seen the old B&W pictures of the crowded Market Place and the parades along High Street during that Diamond Jubilee.
Queen Victoria was 78 when she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee (60 years). Queen Elizabeth will be 86.
Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years and is currently the longest ever reigning monarch.
In the library there is a display about the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubliee where the town council committee discussed whether to pay for a meal for a big celebration or create a lasting memorial. Nothing changes.
I was driving through Abingdon yesterday and saw all these flags, I must say I liked it, made me feel very patriotic, shame they must come down at the end.
We are celebrating with a Jubilee Tea party m the 5th.
I hope the poles remain there, maybe replace it with flags of the twinned Town nations, or Abingdon on Thames – Coat of Arms/.
or run a design a flag for Abingdon campaign.
We are having a garden party with our neighbours to celebrate, and then off to the bun throwing… let’s hope for dry weather, and shall we have a “queen of Abingdon”? I remember we had that in our village on the Silver Jubilee and she came around all the street parties to greet us.
They look wonderful. Nice photos. The ones on Stratton Way look especially beautifully against the backdrop of trees.
P.S. The Union Flags are remaining up until the end of the Olympics
Town looked so lovely driving through this morning. It prompted me to tell my boys tales of the Silver Jubilee street party I remember going to as a small child. But what really got them going was the bit where all schoolchildren were all given a silver comemorative coin. They are convinced now that the Queen is going to send them a diamond…..
Put out more Flags!
I forgot about the commemorative coin! I have one at home. They could do it again, an innovative way of doing some more ‘quantative easing’ 😉
Have a look in the book ‘Abingdon In Camera’ – image 23 is an incredible montage taken of the town square for the Diamond Jubilee celebration in 1897. County Hall is festooned with flags, there are banners displayed, everyone is dressed to the nines. Bun throwing took place just after the photo was taken apparently…
Should be copies in either of the town’s two bookshops 🙂
OK – I’ve placed the book in the window open on the page – take a look next time you are walking past Mostly Books!
Bridge Street looks amazing with with the flags on the bridge and the bunting by the shops, a wonderful welcome to people entering the town. Well done to Abingdon TC
Please also see our Facebook Page, i’ve uploaded a load of photos I took the other day!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Abingdon-Diamond-Jubilee-Celebrations/344645152229594
Drove through the town on Sunday morning – looks absolutely brilliant – well done to all. Drove home via Woodcote – St Georges bunting used – not the same and not inclusive but maybe they got them cheap!
It would be great if they remained after the Jubilee but that would mean the town being at risk of being acused of racisim thanks to those BNP idiots making our wonderful flag a symbol of their hate camaign. Putting up the Abingdon coat of arms on some of them would be a great idea!!
I also feel we should have flags more often, i.e. not just on Jubilee and Olympic years. It is commonly done in other countries. Abingdon looks great at the minute though!
@Tim – I’ve always taken the view that we should generally have our flg up as much as possible in order to reclaim it from the fascists.
It would be nice to see the flags fly all year round, just to show we are a proud nation.