Upcoming: NSPCC Market Stall, Poetry, Art, and Philosophy

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Saturday, March 2nd:

The local NSPCC group will have their usual tombola, bric-a-brac, books, and plants for sale on the Market Place.

Thursday, March 14th:

An Evening with Poet Andrew Jamison (6:00 PM, Abingdon Library): Award-winning poet Andrew Jamison will be reading from his latest collection, Swans We Cannot See. Tickets are £2 (including a welcome drink) and can be purchased at the library counter, or by emailing abingdon.library@oxfordshire.gov.uk. Andrew also helped select the ten poems and wrote the forward for the book Ten Poems about Abingdon.

March 11th – 16th:

View a variety of artwork by local artists at The Abingdon Artists’ Spring Exhibition (St Helen’s Church).

Tuesday, March 5th
The February meeting of Agnostics Anonymous had around 60 attendees. The March meeting has the topic “Is there a God?”

Which pub in Abingdon has gravestones in its garden and why?

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In the first edition of the Trinity Triangle magazine, in September 1982, I found the following:

ADULT PUZZLER
Which pub in Abingdon has gravestones in its garden and why?

ANSWER (October 1982)
Our oldest member at Trinity – Miss Evelyn Rant – answered the Adult Puzzler correctly. She said, ‘The White Horse at the corner of Spring Road was once a burial ground.’

I did visit the White Horse and got pictures of some of the stones in the rock garden, but I was not sure any were from gravestones.

The staff at the pub knew nothing about the graveyard. However, Jackie Smith, the town archivist, has access to a map that shows Ock Street with the Air Balloon pub, a yard, a building, and then a Quaker burial ground. That Quaker burial ground starts near Reeves fish and chip shop.

Arthur Preston’s book, St Nicholas Abingdon and other papers (p. 98), refers to ‘the dissenters’ graveyard at the west end of Ock Street – known as the Quakers’ burial ground.’

Good News for Caldecott: New Multi-Use Games Area & Community Newsletter

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The new Multi-use games Area at Caldecott Recreation Ground (in South Abingdon) is nearly finished! The access mats and heavy machines have gone.

Most of the construction looks complete, including the base, tarmac, fences, and basketball nets. Line painting needs to be done.

This project by Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council will be a great space for basketball, netball, football, skating, and probably much more

This follows the installation of outdoor gym equipment in July 2022, adding to the recreation ground’s amenities.

Things are looking up for Caldecott. Volunteers are delivering a 4 page newsletter full of activities for young people and families in the area. The newsletter and other projects are financed by Community First Oxfordshire which is looking to increase health and wellbeing in targeted areas in Oxfordshire. See https://www.communityfirstoxon.org/caldecott-community-grants-apply-now. The next newsletter will be out for Easter.

A Breezy Monday in Abingdon

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The Rye Farm car park was closed as the River Thames flood water still covers most of the spaces.

On the Monday Market, Martin has a supply of new cards out. One of the cards shows Queen Victoria in the marketplace.

It was windy last night, so only some of the usual stallholders were there. Martin got support from another stallholder to keep things tied down.

The egg stall operated out of the back of a van. The fruit and vegetable stall didn’t have an awning.

The new fresh food shop was busy with customers. They have a step at the entrance that they can’t remove, but they have a temporary ramp to help people who use wheelchairs get in and out easily.