Ancient river systems predate A34 at Lodge Hill

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Archaeologists, working on the site of the soon to be updated A34 interchange at Lodge Hill, near Abingdon, have unearthed evidence of an ancient river system dating back half a million years.

Experts from Oxford Archaeology, commissioned by Balfour Beatty, dug trial trenches and test pits to explore the area’s deep past before work on the A34 interchange begins. Discoveries include river sediment from an ancient river system and flint tools that suggest early human presence.

(Thanks to the Oxfordshire County Council news release: https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/early-hominin-evidence-uncovered-at-site-of-a34-lodge-hill-interchange/. Also thanks to Chat GPT API which generated the image when I gave it the story.)

The Runaway Fair – 2024

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This Monday the Runaway Fair returned to Abingdon Market Place a week after the main Michaelmas Fair. The Runaway Fair traces its roots back centuries when it followed the main Michaelmas hiring Fair. Originally serving as an opportunity for employees to seek new masters, the fair has evolved into a fair where children can hop aboard a roundabout or eat candy floss.

The Runaway Fair is now confined to the Market Place, a change that occurred in 2022, making the event smaller but eliminating the traffic disruption. The only disruption now is to the Monday Market, which is suspended for two weeks to accommodate both fairs.

This year there was drizzle through the early afternoon and evening and the Runaway Fair ran away soon after 6 pm.

A New Chapter for Abingdon’s Churches

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The coming and going of church ministers are significant events for the churches concerned and the wider community.

One such change is the departure of a beloved figure, Reverend Dr. Charles Miller. After serving as Rector of St Helen’s Church for 18 years, Dr Miller will deliver his final sermon on All Saints Day (November 3rd).

Another exciting change is that Revd Georgina Bondzi-Simpson MBE has become the new Minister of All Saints and Trinity churches. At a recent welcome service held at All Saints, Revd Bondzi-Simpson was officially welcomed by church leaders and by the Deputy Mayor of Abingdon, Councillor Rawda Jehanli.

Guide Dogs and Vaccines in Abingdon

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Abingdon’s Market Place was fairly quiet today, with only a single stall present. The stall was raising funds for Guide Dogs and offered a variety of items, including Christmas cards, calendars, cuddly dogs, secondhand CDs and books. Guide dogs were placed at the entries to the Market Place with collecting buckets.

Outside of the market, the only busy area was the Charter, where locals were lining up for their annual flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. A staff member was directing those aged 65 and over with appointments to a separate queue.