With Hathaways closing, there are other places where you can still get Abingdon souvenirs, including the museum, bookshops, and the Gift Centre.

The Gift Centre in the precinct currently has a window display with a range of souvenirs of Abingdon including: writing cards, mugs, tea towels, thimbles and place mats. The window display also has a selection of paintings of Abingdon by local artists (there are more upstairs in the gallery), and a new booklet, and accompanying DVD, “12 Walks around Abingdon” – containing walks in Abingdon, and surrounding villages.

Abingdon Rugby Club holds one of the oldest Club Rugby Sevens Tournaments in England, originating in 1956, and held at the Southern Town Park. Todays tournament started at midday and went on until about six.

The Breakfreekz 2007 Boat Party passed alongside us at Abingdon Lock, as we walked down the river towards Swift Ditch. They had come from Oxford and were returning that way. The music stopped for as long as it took to get through the Lock. It had started to rain.

By the time we reach Swift Ditch, the boat had left us some way behind and all we could hear was the thump of the drum N bass – from the rave on the river in the rain.

The Abingdon Town Bus is pictured here at St Helens Wharf. You can’t see the passengers because there are just too many flowers!

The original timetable, started last year, was difficult to keep to and is likely to be changed in the autumn.