First Abingdon Walking Festival

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The first Abingdon Walking Festival was based on the Market Place today. It was coordinated by the Abingdon Events Partnership, which invited different groups to participate.

The five longest walks, ranging from 4 – 11 miles, were led by the Ramblers.

Two gentler walls were led by Abingdon Community Walks, who were also giving away exercise Tea Towels.

A talk on famous women walkers was in the museum basement, followed by a walk.

There was also a variety of other groups, including Abingdon Eagles Basketball Club , who organise walking basketball at the Vale Leisure Centre.

Berkshire, Buckingham and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust have a lot of Wildlife reserves where people can walk, including four close to Abingdon around Dry Sandford.

The Friends of Abingdon Civic Society have several self-guided walks, the latest being Abingdon Royal History. Two more are currently being designed. The walks can be found on the Civic Society website. They will organise a further day of themed walks in May and more on Heritage Open Day in September.

Coronation and not Jubilee

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The day started with rain, which was not good for the Farmer’s Market.

Sunshine came after the market had packed up.

After so many jubilees for the Queen, whose birthday would have been today, we are to celebrate the coronation of King Charles. Shops are beginning to put out decorations for the Coronation.

This time, there will be a Coronation Bun Throw – not a jubilee.

X is for X3 and X2 and X1 (Abingdon <-> Oxford buses)

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Being in the front seat on the top deck of the X3 bus has all the excitement of a fairground ride, but you don’t get an announcer shouting, ‘Scream if you want to go faster’. Instead, every stop is announced by a calming voice, ‘Vineyard… Our Ladys Abingdon … Oxford Road shops …’

There were two Lib Dem posters up the Oxford Road. That is fewer than in previous local elections, and the amount of literature through the door is also reduced.

At the Boundary House, the X3 passed another X3 coming the other way. The drivers waved. My first car was a VW Beetle, and we used to wave to other Beetle owners.

At Peachcroft Roundabout, a new flood alleviation pool is visible. Apparently, flooding in North Abingdon after the recent rains is being blamed on the new housing. The latest Abingdon Herald has a headline about calls to stop further house building until the flood risk is sorted.

Returning to Abingdon, I missed the X3, but the X2 arrived soon afterwards to pick up passengers at St Aldates to Abingdon.

Another X3 had just arrived from Abingdon, coming the other way. Then came the X1, the Wantage, Abingdon, Oxford bus.