On the Market Place this morning a large number of saxophones could be heard – led by George Haslam. It continued this afternoon with a Saxophone quartet from Abingdon Concert Band

It was called Saxophone Saturday.

In the Guildhall the Mayor was presenting reading certificates on behalf of Abingdon Library who had been running a reading scheme over the summer. Children who read six books or more got a certificate.

Some young people had time to read six books and learn saxophone.

The Alpha Course banners have been out for a while, and tonight it kicked off.

I saw people, some with musical instruments, leaving the Guildhall after The Abingdon Alpha Supper – an introductory dinner and jazz evening. I was too late to get pictures inside but will try to get to go to a group at least once to explore the big questions.

Also next Wednesday 1st October is the end of the Muslim fast of Ramadan and there will be an Eid Festival with prayer and celebration at the same venue – the Guildhall. The Abingdon Muslim group welcome other faiths and community. Time 9:30 am.

The Drayton Road Bridge divides Abingdon in two. To the south of the River Ock about a third of the population live. They suffer more traffic problems than the rest of Abingdon.

The bridge acts as a bottleneck to traffic coming from the south, and has been widened on a couple of ocassions, most recently in about 1970. Looking up inside the bridge it is layered like the growth of a tree. On one side the bridge is arched, in the middle the circular arch is made of bricks, finally the most recent bridge widening uses prefabricated concrete.

It not only acts as a bottleneck to traffic, last July the water could not get under the arches and backed up and backed up and flooded all over. This crack willow has split and fallen into the stream. Just another impediment!

Last school term this road (near Abingdon School) would have been full or cars for most of the day, but after the introduction of clamping signs there is not a car to be seen.