The first young tree is dedicated to John Jones O.B.E Freeman of Abingdon and Lucca. At the dedication ceremony, the last part of the hole was patted level by his widow Jean, who lives in one of those flats on the far bank of the Ock. This tree has been planted at the town end of the Ock Valley Walk, and the flats behind are Cygnet Court.

The next two trees are in the Albert Park with Albert in the background. Those cages have been put round them by Christs Hospital, the ancient charity that runs the park.

The final three young trees were put in recently to replace some felled chestnut trees near the bottom of Caldecott Road. Only the middle of the three is still standing. The other two are broken off.

There is something in todays society doesn’t let young trees grow.

Hermann Rorschach (1884-1922) developed inkblots, which subsequently got used for personality tests. I have begun to wonder whether the character of a place can be seen in the way its outline has grown and been constrained.

This is the current outline of Abingdon. So what do people see in the shape?

When the queen came to Abingdon two years ago, it was to visit this large office block on the Abingdon Science Park – the site of Sophos who had won a Queens award to industry that year.

After lunch, the Queen went up to the roof garden to the south-facing staff restaurant which overlooks the wild landscaping of Barton Fields, and where they are digging round a small lake.

Sophos is a company that makes anti-virus and anti-spam software. The company was founded in 1985. It is the sort of company Gordon Brown (our would be prime-minister) wants to see leading the way for British industry.

The Conduit recreation park had only been opened for a few years, when this monument to Prince Albert was added in 1864. After that it became known as Albert Park.

Albert was hard working, and is probably best remembered for his work on the Great Exhibition. He died at a youngish age. The Queen mourned his loss for a long time, and so apparently did the nation, at a time when a lot of new civic amenities were being built.

Albert is so high up that he spent the whole millennium summer with a tennis ball wedged between his legs.