Crowds cheer in David Walliams at Abingdon Lock

David Walliams
When we arrived at Abingdon Lock a large crowd had already begun to gather to support TV personality, and charity-challenge-taker, David Walliams – who is attempting to swim 140 miles of the River Thames over 8 days.
David Walliams
On this the second day of the challenge, David started at dawn to make up for 2 miles lost yesterday. The press boat came in about 20 minutes before David, and filmed some crowd scenes before it got dark.

It was dark when David finally swam through to Abingdon Lock at 20:20. Alongside were,  canoes and another swimmer for moral support. He had made up the lost miles by doing 20 miles today.
David Walliams
Not quite 20:20 vision but it is difficult to get pictures over a large crowd . Wrapped up from the cold, David Walliams starts off again from Abingdon to Goring tomorrow soon after 7 am.

You can make donations to Sports Relief and follow his progress on this link.

3 for 2 Baby Event

Three for Two
Monday is market day in Abingdon. It may not show in this particular picture but market day is the busiest shopping day in Abingdon. The shops join in by trying to grap people’s attention with bright colours and offers.
Three for Two
Boots, for example, has a ‘3 for 2 Baby Event‘. I wonder what that is all about.

Champion House

Champion House
Next door to John Mason School is Champion House…
Champion House
It was owned by Oxfordshire County Council Social Services – Caring Countywide.
Champion House
It is featured on a Friends of Abingdon display at the Community Shop along with other buildings like the Ox pub that are in danger of being redeveloped.

Community Shop Reopens

Community Shop
The community shop has reopened for a new run.  For the first week there are exhibitions by The MG Car Club, Friends of Abingdon, and Abingdon Archaelogical and Historical Society. They will run until Heritage Weekend, which begins on Saturday 10th September, and then another community group or groups will take over – just like it used to be.
Community Shop
The shop has moved back to where Adams used to be. The other temporary community shop, over the other side of Bury Street, still has the consultation window display about changes to Abingdon town centre. There will be an extra open day on Saturday 10 September from 10:00am – 3:00pm to air your views on that. So that day will be a chance to see the town’s heritage and influence its future – future grows out of the past.
Community Shop
I was handing out heritage leaflets today, outside the shop, and met up with fellow Abingdon bloggers … Can I Walk Mummy? and Read it Daddy .

By the way if you haven’t seen the heritage leaflet, there are lots in the community shop, and it can be viewed here.