John Mason School’s 5 Decades

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O6 Art Exhibition
50th anniversary celebrations have been going on at John Mason Secondary School.  They had a Fun Day last Saturday and an assembly to celebrate the anniversary mid week.

Yesterday,  I went to the school’s O6 Art Gallery where, beyond the A Level Course work exhibition, there was a 50th anniversary exhibition…John Mason 70s and 80s

Last Saturday at the Fun Day a lot of the pupils dressed up.  Years 7s in 1970s,  year 8s in 80s, year 9 in 90s, and other years in 60s gear.  But as I was not there to see them, here is the real thing, thanks to Friend Reunited…John Mason in 1968
A sixth form group from the late 60s.
John Mason in 1972
An early 70s school group.
John Mason in 1986
A group that went on a school trip in the 198os.
John Mason in 1998
A year group in the late 1990s or 2000s.

Pylon High

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Pylon High
This stretch of road is between Drayton and Steventon,  two  miles south of Abingdon.

Over to the left is the site of the proposed reservoir – currently the subject of a public enquiry which will judge whether Thames Water have justified the need. The enquiry room is surrounded by towering shelves of documents both for and against the reservoir. Every now and then the clerk will go to a particular folder, find a specific piece of evidence, and present it to the hearing.
Pylon High
The large poster attached to the electricity pylon on the edge of the flat farmland says, “Dam Wall. Pylon High! 25 Metres“.

Pylon High
The reservoir would be constructed by hollowing out a basin and building up surrounding walls.

Pevsner’s 2010 study of Berkshire

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There is a well thumbed copy of Pevsner’s 1966 study of Berkshire architecture in the local studies reference section of Abingdon library. There are 11 pages about Abingdon. Pevsner has a controversial turn of phrase…

1. St Nicholas – An odd west front
2. Trinity – full-blown churchy…fussy Geometrical tracery
3. County Hall – Of the free-standing town halls of England this is the grandest – grander decidedly that Windsor
4. Old Police Station – A plain, honest job

Free Library
5. Free Library – too tall to be credible or suitable within the scale of Abingdon

6. Abingdon School – high, clumsy and Gothic
7. Old Gaol – impressive enough by itself; the siting is unpardonable.
8. Corn Exchange – no definite style nor alas personality
9. Abingdon Bridge – the view towards St Helens church is lovely, or would be, if it were not for the Old Gaol
10. Queens Hotel – unbelievably joyless

(The Corn Market and Queens Hotel got demolished soon after – unable to carry on after Pevsner.)
Pevsner Pilgrims

In 2010 a fully revised and rewritten Pevsner’s Berkshire has been published.

Abingdon is still in Berkshire, not Oxfordshire according to this book. (Abingdon was transferred to Oxfordshire 8 years after Pevsner but many still keep the faith and will be glad of this keeping with tradition.)

There was a walk round some of our great Abingdon buildings yesterday organised by Mostly Books- taken by the author of the new Pevsner. The new book looks much bigger than the original. It is better researched. A few of Pevsner’s more whimsical judgements have been removed, but most are still in. The new author recognises their charm.

Flag Flies Half Mast Again

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Flag Flies Half Mast Again
I am sad to report that the Abingdon Flag is flying half mast for the second time in three months. This time we ALL regret the passing of Patricia Hobby, our Mayor until a few weeks ago.

Many people in Abingdon will better remember Pat as a primary school teacher. When I ever accompanied her we would meet ex-pupils glad to see her, and she would remember them.
Flower in Full Bloom
I remember David Fleming saying about Pat “One abiding memory of Pat at school was that she used to grow butterflies in her classroom, from caterpillar to butterfly. Her class was always colourful – with a flowery theme, as befitted her interest in Abingdon in Bloom.“