Summer Choral Concert, Abingdon Country Market, and Marina area Litter Pick – Saturday 8th June

Leave a reply

Whats On
The Abingdon and District Musical Society will hold its Summer Choral Concert on Saturday 8th June at 7:30 pm in St Helen’s Church. They will be performing Stabat Mater by Dvorak.
Whats On
The Abingdon Country Market will be at the Salvation Army in West St Helen Street on Saturday 8th June (2nd Saturday in the Month) from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm. They have homemade cakes, preserves, bread, eggs, plants and flowers (in season, locally grown). Also Crafts and cards.
Whats On
Then the is a Abingdon Marina area clean up organised by the Rotary. The event is in support of World Oceans Day, (https://www.worldoceansday.org/ ) to reduce the amount of plastics getting into the Thames and flowing on to the sea.

Anniversary of Dunkirk (79 years) and D Day (75 years) – Abingdon Men who made the ultimate sacrifice

1 Reply

Thankyou to Steve for this article. Steve’s late uncle, Eric McIntyre helped him compile this list. Eric went over on D Day + 6 (June 12th 1944) as part of a tank regiment. He survived the war. Steve says …

This week, some 79 years ago the evacuation of over 330,000 British and Commonwealth members of the British Expeditionary Force were successfully evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk by an armada of “Little Ships”

However, there was a resolute rear guard of about 20,000 who kept the Nazis at bay and were not so lucky. They were either captured, wounded or killed and sadly some of Abingdon’s finest were among them.
Anniversary of Dunkirk
Bedworth – Charles, Lance Serjeant 5337501, Royal Berks Reg, son of Ernest & Daisey, died of wounds on 21-05/1940, Hainaut, Belgium.
Bennett – Albert Ernest, Prvt 5110890 2nd bat Royal Worcs reg, son of Lilian Hart of Abingdon,died of wounds 30-05-1940,Wulverdingehe,Belgium
Lee, Reginald Percival, Prvt 5336463, Royal Berks Reg, son of Richard & Winifred of Abingdon, died of wounds 29-05-1940, Zuidschote, Belgium
Marsh, Henry John, 5333164, Royal Berks Reg, son of Henry & Ivy, husband to Ann of Abingdon, died of wounds 24-05-1940, Dunkirk, Belgium
Rutty, Lewis Bernard, 5337644, Royal Berks Reg, son of Henry & Elizabeth of Abingdon, died of wounds 10-05-1940, Zuidschote, Belgium
Rutty, Leslie Henry, 5337661, Royal Berks Reg, brother of above, died of wounds 01-06-1940, Veurne, Dunkirk (uncle went to school with them)
Anniversary of Dunkirk
This week some 75 years ago the biggest invasion force ever assembled prepared to sail to Normandy on June 6th 1944, D-Day. Once more some of Abingdon’s finest made the ultimate sacrifice.

Belcher, Lieutenant Raymond Charles, 258144 6th Airborne Reconnaissance Group, died on D-Day and is buried at Ranville, Normandy,
(Uncle went to school with him too and spoke of Hitlers orders to shoot all paratroopers on sight)
Burborough, Rex, 5110473, Royal Warwickshires,son of William & Lucy of Abingdon died on 13-07-44 (D + 37) Ryes cemetery, Calvados
Wicks, Major James Macrae, 64611 son of Reginald & Elenor of Abingdon, 1st Bat Hampshire Reg, died of wounds Caen,12-06-1944 (D+6)

(Image of D-Day from Wikipedia from File:D-day – British Forces during the Invasion of Normandy 6 June 1944 B5246.jpg.)

Windrush in Abingdon

3 Replies

The Sunday before last, at Trinity Church, we had a service with a difference. Instead of sitting facing the front we sat at tables facing each other. We sometimes hear people’s stories when they reach 100 years old, or at their funeral. This service was intended to learn more about each other before then. One person on each table was asked to tell a little of their own story and how they came to Trinity Church in Abingdon.

Inspired by them, others told their story.
Windrush in Abingdon
One person had come further than most. In 1958 ,at a little over one year old, he had come over from Jamaica. The voyage took about three weeks as they did not come directly to the UK. His parents got employment at the British Motor Corporation at Cowley, his father was in Insurance and his Mother was a Secretary.

A few years later pictures was taken of all the family that appeared in the local newspaper. The family had come across at various times during the 1950s – the younger members were born in Oxford or Abingdon.

Some of those pictures appeared again in the Oxford Mail, a few weeks ago, when there was an exhibition at Oxford Town Hall Museum about the Windrush Generation (people who came over from Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago – invited to help rebuild post-War Britain).

There is a Windrush Court in Abingdon Business Park. It is named after the River Windrush that rises in the Cotswolds and passes Witney before joining the Thames near Oxford. The ship that brought the first people from the West Indies was also named after the River Windrush. This Guardian article explains how.

Music in The Park

11 Replies

Music in The Park
There were four good bands playing at Music in the Park. They all worked well with the big audience.
Music in The Park
There was an audience of about 5,000 people.
Music in The Park
David Pope and Margaret Crick were there. They were the deputy Mayor and Mayor of Abingdon last year. Margaret is now Chair of the Vale of White Horse District Council.
Music in The Park
The last band Hope and Glory played a lot of old favourites for anybody who liked Ska music.
Music in The Park
The new Mayor of Abingdon, Cllr Charlie Birks, thanked all the people who had helped make this event possible, especially the council staff.
Music in The Park
The evening ended with Abingdon Town Band who played some songs by Queen, including Bohemian Rhapsody, and then a couple of traditional prom songs.
Music in The Park
Then fireworks.