Abingdon 100 Years Ago – June 1924

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Abingdon Police Court
On Tuesday, Stanley Ironmonger, 32, of Bath Street, Abingdon, was summoned for riding a motorcycle without a light on Bridge Street, Abingdon, on May 23. The defendant pleaded not guilty, and the case was dismissed, with the court giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Stratford-on-Avon Charges
At the Stratford-on-Avon Petty Sessions on Friday, Percival John Farmer, a coal merchant formerly of West St. Helen Street and now of Boxhill, Oxford Road, Abingdon, was committed to the Warwick Assizes on a charge of manslaughter. This followed the death of Thomas Holton, a foreman maltster at Flower and Sons’ Brewery, Stratford-on-Avon, resulting from a motor accident on Easter Sunday on the Shipton-on-Stour road. After a lengthy hearing, the Bench determined that a prima facie case had been made out. Bail was allowed.

Bowling Club Match
On Thursday, Abingdon Bowling Club visited Wantage Bowling Club and played on four rinks. The Abingdon teams emerged victorious with a score of 95 to 71. Mr. F. Taylor, the Wantage captain, warmly welcomed the Abingdon team and expressed his pleasure in hosting them.

Housing Issue
At the Abingdon Rural District meeting last week, Chairman Mr. L. Stevens reported that the newly appointed Road Surveyor and Sanitary Inspector, Mr. Earwaker, could not start his duties because a house could not be found for him. Mr. Earwaker may have to relinquish his current position unless accommodation is secured.

Death of Mrs. Burgess
Mrs. Burgess, a well-known resident of Abingdon, passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 75 after a long illness. She was the widow of Mr. Burgess, a printer and stationer who died last September. Mrs. Burgess was actively involved in the Conservative League societies for many years.

County Bench Proceedings
On Monday, Stanley Dunsden of Radley pleaded guilty to riding a motorcycle without a light and failing to produce his license to P.C. Goddard on May 11. He was fined. Frank Harper, a farm labourer from Chawley, Cumnor, was fined for shooting two owls in violation of the Wild Birds Protection Act.

Golden Wedding Anniversary
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. George Rickard of Deloraine, Manitoba, who celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on May 26. They were married in Abingdon in 1874. Mr. Rickard moved to Winnipeg in 1883 and then to Deloraine the following year, where he homesteaded. Mrs. Rickard and their four children joined him later.

Girls Club Event
The Girls Club held a “market” on Wednesday afternoon, opened by the Mayor, Mr Rippon. The event included competitions, teas, and a musical performance in the evening, raising nearly £50.

Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak
An outbreak of foot and mouth disease was discovered on Sunday morning in a meadow on the Oxford Road among cattle belonging to Mr. A. Revell. Officials diagnosed the disease and ordered the immediate destruction of 19 cattle.

Bowling Club Match
The Abingdon Bowling Club hosted the South Oxford Club on Thursday, resulting in an exciting game that ended in a draw with both teams scoring 78 points each.

Vicar’s Resignation
At the Abingdon Church Council meeting on Monday evening, it was announced that the Vicar of Abingdon, the Rev. H. A. Kennedy, intends to resign in the autumn due to health reasons. Mr. Kennedy, who has been in Abingdon since 1914, will exchange livings with a younger priest in the diocese of Truro.


Church Fundraising Bazaar
Church members are raising money for the church hall building fund by organizing a scenic bazaar representing a Palestinian village. The event, held on the grounds of the Square House, will feature a replica of an Arab village using 9,000 feet of timber and 18,000 square feet of canvas. Highlights include a gateway resembling the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem, costumed stall-holders, tea and refreshments, donkey rides, and a Bedouin encampment.

Baptist Church Activities
The Abingdon Baptists have been actively involved in foreign missions. Led by Miss Smallbone and Miss Argyle, a recent initiative to create items for hospital use and dolls for native children has been successful. These items were displayed in the Baptist Hall, Ock Street, and will be sent to the London Baptist Mission House for forwarding to San Salvador, Congo.

League of Nations Meeting
The Rev. H. A. Kennedy chaired a meeting in the Abingdon Congregational Schoolroom last Thursday evening, discussing the Draft Treaty of Mutual Assistance in connection with the League of Nations Union. Colonel Borden-Turner explained the treaty and answered questions from the audience. A vote of thanks was extended to the Colonel.

Rodeo Participation
Henry Ellison of Abingdon participated in the amateur bronc riding competition at the Wembley Rodeo on Saturday. Although he was thrown from his horse after ten seconds, his effort was witnessed by a crowd of 77,000 people.

After the same event the R.S.P.C.A. decided to prosecute the promoter of the Rodeo at Wembley for cruelty to animals owing to an accident which resulted in one of the steers in the roping contest breaking a leg.

Nonagenarian Celebration
Mr. T. Tripp, a furniture dealer from West St. Helen’s, Abingdon, celebrated his 90th birthday yesterday. Known as “Major” Tripp from his days with the Abingdon Volunteer Force, he has vivid memories of political and municipal events from the early 1880s and received many congratulations.

Bowling Club Match
The Abingdon Bowling Club hosted the Cowley St. John’s team of Oxford on Thursday. The final scores were Abingdon 63, Cowley 52.

Thames Conservancy Bill
At the Abingdon Borough Council meeting last week, Alderman Preston reported that the Thames Conservancy Bill had passed the House of Commons. A rate levy on riparian authorities was rejected, replaced by a halfpenny rate. This means Abingdon will pay about £60 annually, with proportional rates for other areas such as Marlow, Goring, Taplow, Reading, and Oxford. Wallingford escaped the levy due to its rateable value.

Sources were the Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette on the British Newspaper Archive, The North Berks Herald from the Abingdon Library microfilm. Thanks to the Daily Chronicle on the BNA for the first advert, the North Berks Herald for the Palestine advert, and for people selling things on Ebay for the other three.

Celebrate 80 Years of Preserving Abingdon’s Heritage with the Friends of Abingdon!

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As part of the 80th Anniversary celebration, the Friends of Abingdon (civic society and buildings trust) invite you to explore the Abingdon Abbey Buildings and celebrate their achievements in safeguarding Abingdon’s heritage.

Join them on Thursday, June 27th from 2:30 to 5:30 pm at the Abingdon Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk.

* Explore the beauty of the historic Abbey Buildings and their gardens.
* Browse a special exhibition showcasing the journey of the Friends of Abingdon.
* Learn about the exciting plans to improve the accessibility of the Abbey Buildings.
* Watch a slideshow in the Unicorn Theatre.

Explore the buildings at your own pace or join a guided tour at 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm. Light refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the afternoon.

Founded in 1944, the Friends of Abingdon emerged from the need to protecting the town’s historical buildings, many of which faced neglect during wartime.

Their initial efforts focused on saving the derelict Abbey Cottages from demolition. Through negotiations, they secured not only the cottages but also surrounding land, including the Checker and Long Gallery. Over time, they acquired additional plots, and in their first decade carried out the initial renovation of the Checker and Long Gallery and creation of the Unicorn Theatre.

The Friends of Abingdon also functioned as a civic society that monitored planning applications and advocated the conservation of Abingdon’s heritage. They have also saved the Roysse Gateway, Carswell, 35 Ock Street, and more recently the historic staircase in the Guildhall. They were also instrumental in the creation of the murals in the underpass and by R&R. They run Heritage Open Day and Unit24 (community shop), and put on walks and produce walks leaflets.

In 2019 the original charity divided in two so that one charity could concentrate on the Abbey Buildings Project. The other charity could concentrate on civic matters.

For more information see Abingdonabbeybuildings.co.uk and Abingdoncivicsociety.org.uk/.

Pre-election hustings for Oxford West & Abingdon

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The general election is scheduled for July 4th, and a pre-election hustings for Oxford West & Abingdon provided voters with a chance to hear from the candidates. The hustings, organized by the Church in Abingdon, took place last Friday at Abingdon Baptist Church and was live-streamed. You can watch a recording at https://www.youtube.com/live/3VCJuzWwhGk.

Each candidate had an opportunity to introduce themselves (from 20 minutes 00 seconds into the recording):

Anni Byard – Social Democratic
Chris Goodall – Green
James Gunn – Reform UK
Layla Moran – Liberal Democratic
Vinay Raniga – Conservative
Ian Shelley – Christian Peoples Alliance
Stephen Webb – Labour
Josh Phillips, an Independent candidate, was absent.

The event featured questions addressing various national and local issues:
* Food Banks: Discussing strategies to eliminate the need for them (from 37:11).
* Top Concerns: Identify the three most important issues the electorate are concerned about (from 50:26).
* Assisted Dying: Sharing views on this matter of individual conscience (from 59:07).
* Abingdon Reservoir: Addressing the need for a public inquiry (from 1:07:50).
* Solar Farm at Botley West: Stating their positions on this project (from 1:15:38).
* Community Contributions: Highlighting their contributions over the past five years and future plans if elected (from 1:27:30).
* 20 MPH Rollout: Opinions on the implementation of this speed limit (from 1:38:12).
* Immigration: Discussing the need for a timely, affordable, and fair path to citizenship (from 1:47:56).
* Climate Change: Proposing national and local actions for drastic climate measures (from 1:57:00).
* Military Spending vs. Diplomacy: Debating the balance between increased military spending and diplomacy (from 2:07:22).

All candidates agreed on the necessity of a public inquiry into the Abingdon Reservoir. The chairman, Chris Bryan, said this was the first time in his memory that all the candidates had agreed on an issue.

In terms of what three issues the electorate are most concerned about:
James Gunn – Reform UK: Cost of Living, NHS Waiting Lists, Net Zero will crash the economy
Layla Moran – Liberal Democratic: NHS GP appointments, Cost of Living, Sewage scandal
Vinay Raniga – Conservative: Cost of Living, Public Sector Reform (NHS), Immigration
Ian Shelley – Christian Peoples Alliance: Immigration, Free Speech, Economy
Stephen Webb – Labour: NHS GP appointments, Cost of Living, Affordable Housing (younger people)
Anni Byard – Social Democratic: Cost of Living, Environment, Affordable Housing (younger people)
Chris Goodall – Green: Nature and Climate, NHS, Palestine