Thirteen clarinetists from Abingdon Concert Band were playing on the Market Place this lunchtime.
The Band was originally formed in 1977 as Abingdon Military Band. The name was subsequently changed in 1988 to reflect their changing membership and music.
Our house has one claim to fame that I know of… It has the same house number as West Waddy ADP – the architects. We often get smartly dressed visitors knocking at the door asking for West Waddy.
West Waddy ADP are in East St Helen Street and we are West St Helen Street. So it is an easy mistake to make. West Waddy are the last house before the river next to the slipway – shown in the picture.
West Waddy have been celebrating, this year, 125 years since their predecessor John George Timothy West began practising in the Knowl off Stert Street. That makes them one of the oldest architectural practises in the country.
Bowyer Road is off Boxhill Road which is off the Oxford Road, and is part of the Northcourt Ward where there is a town council By-Election today. Polling is at All Saints Church off Appleford Drive. The election is to replace Patricia Hobby. The candidates are…
Peter Jones – Conservative
Bobbie Nichols – Labour
Helen Pighills – Lib-Dem
I was canvassing some of Bowyer Road in the rain yesterday and got very wet, but it ended with a rainbow.
One lady remarked on opening her front door ‘What a beautiful rainbow.’
Bowyer Road is not named because it sometimes has a rainbow. Bowyer Road was named after the Bowyer family of Radley Hall – now Radley College. Sir George Bowyer is perhaps best known in Abingdon. He helped set up St Edmund’s Church. He supported the Sisters of Mercy when they first came to Abingdon to educate the children of the poor. Their work then led to the setting up of Our Ladies Convent and St Edmund’s School in what was a Catholic corner of Abingdon. Very near that area is Bowyer Road.
Also today the papal visit begins. There are no plans to visit Abingdon, but he may look out from Shepherd 1 and see the River winding its way through our town.
The Abingdon Artists autumn exhibition at St. Helen’s Church is on from 11th – 18th September from 10am – 5pm. St Helen’s church can be seen in this painting by Josie Chappelle of East St. Helen Street.
John E sent me a few images of the exhibition.
I chose the two where he had people looking at the art.