A traffic survey is happening in Abingdon town centre with cables attached to boxes across the road. They won’t detect a 2 HP cart that drove through Abingdon from Cardiff to London – part of a charity drive. See https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/shirehorses2022.
Daniel was in town and made a video showing the horses having a much-needed drink of water https://youtu.be/2lVqn3UYnhU on their way to London
They then set off again on what was a hot day.
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On BBC1 TV, we saw the Queen having tea with Paddington Bear. I knew that Paddington kept a stash of marmalade sandwiches under his hat but was surprised when the Queen got marmalade sandwiches out of her handbag. Since then, crochet of The Queen and Paddington and corgi has appeared on the post box on Abingdon Market Place.
Michael emailed me a picture of Queen Victoria with a hat. 
The Mother and Child statue in Abingdon also has a hat.
Do the hats hide marmalade sandwiches, or do they have another purpose?
The election of the Mayor of Ock Street will take place on Saturday 18th June 2022. Following recent tradition, there is a lego display in the curved corner window of Fatface. The new 2022 model shows the Abbey Archway, St Nicolas Church, and The Guildhall, with a water fountain.
The Abingdon Traditional Morris dancers will process into town at around 11:15 to dance outside the Black Swan, Station Yard, Abbey Gateway and the Market Place before lunch.
Afternoon dance locations include Long Alley Almshouses, Coopers Lane, and Brewery Tap. At around 16:15, the election of the Mayor of Ock Street will be announced, followed by the chairing and dancing.
This is the first election in three years. The candidates will be the current Mayor of Ock Street, Harry Knight, and the contender, Richard Grimsdale-Yates. The contest will be officiated by the Mayor of Abingdon (left above), and the new President of Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, Stuart Jackson (centre above).
I am sorry to say I have a family wedding so will miss this all-important event. Hopefully, somebody will let me use their pictures. I have written a poem for the occasion.
Morris Dancing
Thought it was a Moorish dance brought back from the crusades?
Thought it was like the Basque dances of Luzaide?
Thought it was like the Romanian Călușari dance?
Thought it was Terry Pratchett’s made-up dance?
Think again!
This is England,
Good old England.
This is Oxfordshire.
Good old Abingdon.
This is Mayor’s Day.
This is Abingdon Traditional Morris
Dancing the Princess Royale.
Old mother Harvey
Old George Hunt
Went to Nuneham in a Punt
Lost the pole and away they wunt
and they never got to Nuneham.
Lifting arms together
line dancing
cross dancing
cross ribboned
Abingdon crested
white trousered
white shirted
fabulous flowers
in their hats.
Lifting legs together
ring-a-ling a-ling
lifting arms together
hankies flowing
throwing grain together
making the harvest grow
higher and higher
pure nature
loving dance.
Thank you to Hester for the heads up about a Central Abingdon Regeneration Framework (CARF) event. There was a stakeholder workshop at the start of May. The information gathered at the event has been used to plan this event.
An in-person consultation in Abingdon will be held on Friday, 17 and Saturday, 18 June 2022. The aim is to create a vision and objectives for central Abingdon. There will be options for critical sites in the town, including the Upper Reaches, Charter Car Park and Abbey House. (This is run by the VWHDC district council and not to be confused with the Neighbourhood plan being run by the Town Council)
The event will take place at Unit 24, Bury Street precinct (the former H Samuel shop) on:
Friday 17 June from 11am-8pm
Saturday 18 June from 9.30am-1pm
The https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/central-abingdon-regeneration-framework/ webpage will also be updated with the latest information. People can then fill in an online consultation survey from Friday, 17 June.