There were still MGs about, but no more red arrows.

The weather has been bad all day. The second day of the Spirit of Adventure airshow was called off because of the rain.

Today is also Pentecost Sunday. At Trinity Church, Ruth our minister said she was preparing her children’s talk about Pentecost when overhead she heard a great roaring, and went outside to see coloured flares in the sky.

Most of the children in Abingdon were also outside at that moment looking up for the next sweep past of the Red Arrows. So Ruth used that joint moment of excitement in her children’s talk about Pentecost… when there was a sound like a great roaring wind, and tongues of flame cames down from up above to settle on the disciples.

Two old Abingdon friends were back in town today: the RAF and MG. The RAF AWACS spy plane cruises over these MG cars parked the other side of the river.

The MGs were there for the opening of a new MG exhibition at the museum. Extra gallery rooms have been opened on the top floor to house the MG exhibition.

Road signs were there to show visitors the way to the RAF Spirit of Adventure airshow at Dalton Barracks (once RAF Abingdon), but there was not that much extra traffic in town

Life went on in Abingdon with its usual mixture of misfortune and fortune. There was a fire in the Parasol Chinese Restaurant at the top of East St Helens Street.

The emergency services were still busy with the fire at the Parasol restaurant,

when the bells of St Nics rang out a wedding party.

The wedding didn’t get their timing quite right though…

…If they’d waited around until 4 PM, they could have had the red arrows fly past.

The entrance display at the Guildhall says ’40 day to go!’ until there is a smokefree Guildhall. There will also be a smokefree England from July 1st, as far as pubs and clubs are concerned, so not just the Guildhall bar is affected.

It will be interesting to hear what our grandchildren have to say about this change, “You used to smoke cigarettes in the Guildhall? No! What did they say?“

Shop keepers and people fighting for the town centre won the first battle when the Vale of the White Horse district council (development control committee) turned down the Tesco expansion plans.

Tesco want to expand their store, which although big, is not big enough for Tesco’s expanding business. They want to knock down the garden centre, and expand their general and non-food shopping space.

Tesco are considering an appeal.