Everybody coming up West St Helen Street has a good view of the shop that was Abingdon Fashion and soon will become a Turkish Barber.
When the transformation is complete this new business could provide a new experience to the men of Abingdon. As well as shave, cut, or wet cut I gather there are options like facial steamer, hot towel, mask, and head massage. Or a special including all of them.
A 3,000 sell out audience enjoyed the annual Music in The Park and the weather could not have been better. It turned into one big party with many people coming in groups with family and friends and a picnic. And by the end of the evening the Loose Cannon Beer Tent had run dry.
Local Band ‘Prisoner of Katrina” had many people dancing at the front and said at the end of their set “Who would have thought at 8 O’Clock ths morning it would have turned out like this.”
Skin the Cat and the Awesome Horns, playing R & B and Soul, also had the party people dancing at the front.
Flags were waved and the Abingdon Community Choir led the singing of the Proms. People at the front sang along with: You will Never Walk, Land of Hope and Glory, Sailor’s Hornpipe, No Place Like Home, Jerusalem …
As in previous years Councillor Angela Lawrence led the singing of Rule Britannia, and this year did it as Mayor. The Abingdon Town Band played under the Directorship of Steve Rich. Heroics by him to even be there. He had been taken to hospital that morning – not feeling well.
The Grand Finale of Music / Party in the Park was the singing of the National Anthem and Fireworks.
The weather forecast had predicted thunder and heavy rain during Fun in the Park – organised by Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council (Councillor Alice Badcock centre took on a lot of the organisation this year.) There was a downpour at the outset but very soon it cleared and there was sunshine in the afternoon. Many community groups took part in this annual event with stalls, sports demos, and performances on the stage.
Here are just a few …
One of the first acts on were Mr Hemmings Traditional Abingdon Morris. The bagman thanked me for the interesting piece I’d done on Old Abbey House possibly being sold to a Pub Chain. As often happens I get the credit for a story that was in the Herald.
Yeah Baby were promoting their Market Place event on July 5th. There was a chance to make bunting on their stall, and they will be visiting 4 schools to make more bunting to decorate the big day.
Lesley Legge had a go on the Newbury Building Society Buzzer game. The building society are encouraging children to start saving, and have an outreach team that teach school children all about saving.
Abingdon County hall Museum were getting children to design and make badges.
The Mayor, Angela Lawrence, had a go on the Green Gym Treasure Map and stuck her pin in Radley Lakes.
The Church in Abingdon provided the Ingredients and the Carbon Cutters provided the pedal power as these two stalls collaborated on making smoothies.
Finally, I was very interested when I was told that there was a Water into Wine stall but discovered a Water or Wine stall. Every fifth bottle had wine.
Steve tells me his dad was a dispatch rider delivering final orders for the D-day invasion. Meanwhile, his Uncle’s ship, HMS Norfolk, was moving through the Channel onto station to begin at first light the bombardment of Nazi gun batteries. Another Uncle was preparing his tank in Hampshire. Four days later he too made the crossing in a landing craft …
Back in Abingdon ‘Salute the Soldier Week’ was being organised when the eagerly anticipated D Day Landings became known.
The Abingdon Mayor J L Etty called for a service of prayer for the men serving in the field of battle. Several hundred joined the prayers in front of the Roysse Room.
A week or so later, at the Regal in Abingdon, Mrs Aitken recognised her husband as the Pathe News showed scenes from Normandy.
70 years later, and 100 years since the start of WW1, a wreath, paid for by people in Abingdon, will be laid at the Royal Berks Cemetery this weekend – at Ploegsteert, just south of Ypres in Belgium. Many young men from Abingdon joined the Royal Berks Regiment in both wars.