Abingdon Artists Autumn Exhibition

Abingdon Artists Autumn Exhibition
The Abingdon Artists Autumn Exhibition has been on this week and will continue during Saturday at Christ Church barn on Northcourt Road. One of the artists was painting a still life when I visited.
Abingdon Artists Autumn Exhibition
There is a raffle to win a picture of St Helen’s Wharf, Abingdon donated by Dougie Simpson.
Abingdon Artists Autumn Exhibition
The Abingdon Artists’ 2019-20 programme includes two exhibitions, two outings,  Tuesday afternoon art group, Friday quick on the draw in Abingdon town centre, and a series of talks. The next talk costs £4 for non members and is free for members, and is called ‘Towards Abstraction‘. That includes includes coffee and biscuits.
Abingdon Artists Autumn Exhibition
More information is at http://abingdonartists.org.uk/.

Halloween kicks off the run in to Christmas

Halloween
Throughout the month of October there has been a crate of pumpkins outside Waitrose, on Abbey Close. When I went there today there was one very squashed pumpkin left.
Halloween
Outside and inside Fabulous Flowers, on Bridge Street, there have been pumpkins and gourds throughout October.
Halloween
Masons wool shop, on Stert Street, have pine cones, leaves, and horse chestnuts; spiders, webs, witch and brooms. and skull patterned material. These things you might see in other Halloween themed shop windows. What is unique at Masons are the orange and black balls of wool and the orange and black knitting patterns.
Halloween
The Children’s Air Ambulance charity shop, on High Street, has a heart arresting display.
Halloween
The British Heart Foundation, on Bury Street, removed their Halloween display today. They are now on the run in to Christmas.

Mellstock Band to visit Abingdon

Mellstock Band
The Mellstock Band are performing a show called‘Christmas Frolics’ in the Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon on Wednesday 4th December at 7.30. Tickets £15/£12 (students and under 18)  from Mostly books  or davetownsendmusic.com

This will be a celebration of dance, drink and general misbehaviour as carried on at Christmas in many villages until about a hundred years ago, and will include convivial harmony songs, rousing dance music, and Thomas Hardy’s poetry set to local tunes.

Thomas Hardy gave a lot of places new names in his novels. Mellstock is his home village Bockhampton. His characters also ventured to Alfredston (Wantage), Christminster (Oxford), and Lumsdon (Cumnor). What would he have called Abingdon?

Liquidambar trees

Liquid Amber
The Liquidambar trees on the Market Place are turning red.
Liquid Amber
These regular trees have behaved well so far on the Market Place and The Square in Abingdon, and each year give a flaming red autumn show.
Liquid Amber
Peter Green had something to do with their selection when he was on Abingdon Town Council. When he suggested Liquidambar a lot of people said what are they? At the time there was a choice between them and the better known London Plane.
Liquid Amber
There are Plane trees at St Helen’s Wharf, alongside the River Thames, just as there are along the longer embankment in London.
Liquid Amber
The Plane trees along Conduit Road were pollarded earlier in the year and have already grown back to what can be seen in the picture. They are hardy urban trees that can be cut back and then grow again.