Last week in the Community Shop there was an exhibition of old pictures. This late exhibit did not make it but you can watch all 9 minutes of it now.
The video shows troops recently returned from WWI (?) with old street scenes of Abingdon. It begins with the officers standing in a line and playing a trick on the camera. There is a parade led with a band that starts at the park and ends at the Market Place. We see the civic party and Mayor. Then people lay flowers at an early war memorial. It end with luncheon at the Corn Exchange and some fuzzy lines like we used to have on early TV.
(I’ll remove it after a week as I have no rights to this movie as it belongs to ‘IWM’ but hope you enjoy and can add more information.)
Well, it’s definitely from the Great War.
Wonderful footage – I assume IWM is Imperial War Museum. Great to see the old town – and so many hats!!
Great film, ‘ as amazed at the hats!! everybody wore hats in those days.
Amazing film.
Does any one know when the statue of Queen Victoria was
removed from the Market Place and did she go directly to the Abbey Gardens ?
Fantastic piece of film. All wearing white at the memorial.
(edited to remove identity) Someone I know was responsible for moving the statue of Queen Victoria to the Abbey Gardens. I’ll ask him for the details when I see him next week.
Backstreeter I think if you are allowed by YouTube to “share it” which you seem to be then I don’t think there’s any problem with you displaying it with proper accreditation of course.
Oh you put it up! doh
Isn’t it wonderful to see the town as it was nearly a century ago – and many buildings are so easily identifiable. The Home and Colonial store, which is now Allen & Harris !!
Glad you all like this, I obtained it some years ago (and gave a copy to alistair) if you go onto the Imperial war museum web site there are loads of clips like this available to purchase of towns/city’s and villages from WW1
Queen victoria was moved from the market place to her current site by my uncle, in the 30’s, he often talked about placing a bag of coins of the realm of the day underneather her, they must be still there !
Absolutely fascinating.
In the 1990’s the Joint Environmental Trust for Abingdon looked at moving Queen Victoria’s statue back to the Market Place. It would have cost £10,000, the idea was shelved as she is made of soft stone she could have crumbled in transit.
I think she looks grand in the flower bed in the Abbey gardens.
I was told that she was moved from the Market Place during WW2 to make room for water bowsers.
The Official Welcome Home of the Men of Abingdon who served in the Great War was held on August 4th. 1919 and the parade was under the command of Capt.William Aldworth D.S.O. and culminated in a dinner at 1p.m. in the Corn Exchange
Is ‘One Law for Both’ on the Corn Exchange front wall a sign for the 1917 silent movie of that name? If so, was the Corn Exchange often used as a cinema as early as this?
An interesting film predating the arrival of the obesity epidemic in Abingdon.
Fantastic Film. My Grandfather & his 4 Brothers & My 3 Uncles (Bennet) all returned safely, only 1 was lost..
As a youngster it was hard to get them to talk about the War, in my later years I now understand their reluctance.
Interesting to see the seemingly haphazard attempts at crowd control! At least one small boy narrowly missed getting trampled by the band.
Wonderful pictures and very moving. It was a reminder again of the huge error of judgement to demolish the Corn Exchange and the Queens Hotel. As an Abingdonian born and bred, I remember these buildings very well and with great affection.
Queen Victoria’s statue was moved to the Abbey Grounds in 1946. There is a photograph on page one of the old North Berks Herald, 1 Nov 1946.