Today was armed forces day and last post was played by Alison Rich.
Our MP, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Deputy Lord Lieutenant, and Chair of the Vale were there as part of the ceremony. (Thanks to David for the first picture. )
The Colonel and troops from Dalton Barracks raised the Armed Forces Flag.
Various other towns celebrated Armed Forces Day in a bigger way today, but Abingdon’s chance comes next Saturday with Armed Forces Open Day at Dalton Barracks.
A new advert had just appeared on the Market Place advertising Armed Forces Open Day, a week today.
It dwarves the Abingdon’s Got Talent behind, but is not as big as the ‘All shops still open’ sign behind.
I have always admired some of the other Abingdon Blogs.
Take Views of the Ock. When that blog started, the blogger was elated after weeks of searching to get an indistinct blurred image of a water vole (I think they are also called water rats). Images got better and better until now the blogger seems able to find them at will, and has gone on to find other creatures like otters.
Today I saw my first water vole in the Margaret Brown Gardens, then almost immediately I saw five others. They scurried away, one down the riverside, the other five under the lavender.You can just see one cautiously peeping out to see if it is safe yet.
He / she then came out a bit further…
Then finally came into full view. My first clear image of a water vole (or is it a rat?). Just to add “Many people, including pest controllers, builders and developers, mistake the endangered water vole for the brown rat and accidentally poison them”
Ox Eye Daisies seem to be doing particularly well this year – whether you go out along the river towards Swift Ditch…
or out near the new canal cut (at Jubilee Junction).