A beacon on top of the County Hall in Abingdon
,watched by a small crowd on Abingdon Market Place,
and bells, at the same time, from St Helen’s Church, rounded off this Armistice Day centenary in Abingdon.
The beacon was intended to show the light that came after the darkness of war. More than 800 beacons were lit by councils and communities across the UK.
Many Abingdon people gathered round the war memorial in the sunshine, and along High Street to await the remembrance day parade. Abingdon Town Band led the parade from a service at St Helen’s Church to the war memorial. The parade included soldiers from Dalton Barracks.
Uniformed groups, and civic organisations brought wreaths of poppies to lay at the war memorial.
Then at 11 am, one hundred years after the guns of WW1 became silent, Steve Rich read the exhortation “They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old… we will remember them“. Alison Rich of Abingdon Town Band then played the last post (recording above). There followed a two minutes silence (to remember the fallen).
After Alison Rich sounded the Reveille, the band played and the crowd sang “Oh God our Help in Ages Past” as wreaths were put beside the memorial.
After the end of the ceremony, and after God save the Queen had been sung, civic dignitaries then went ahead to the County Hall to await the march by.
The Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, representing the Queen, (Mrs Felicity Dick), the Mayor of Abingdon-on-Thames (Councillor Margaret Crick), the town’s poppy appeal organiser (Clare Oldfield), and a senior officer from Dalton Barracks took the salute. To their left is 100 year old Ena Mitchell, from the war widows association.
The march was led by Abingdon Town Band and soldiers from Dalton Barracks,
It included veterans,
and uniformed groups and went on and on and on. It is a wonder they all fitted round the war memorial.
Back at the war memorial people looked at the wreaths,
and left their own tributes.
The event was very well organised, and people along the High Street could hear what was going on through loud speakers.
At Dalton Barracks a fireworks festival was being prepared throughout the day.
The rain made the organisers nervous.
Evening came and then lots of people decided to go to the event. The roads ground to a standstill, and so the main display was delayed while the cars were directed in.
Children’s quiet fireworks began the evening.
The bonfire was lit. There was a funfair and food kiosks.
There followed a display of fireworks, one by one, where we were educated about the different fireworks. We were like students being taught about music before going to a concert.
Then the main display came. It was well worth the wait.
The fireworks choreographed with music …
were beautiful.
Bun Throwing is an Abingdon Tradition that began with the 1761 Coronation of King George III, and celebrates important Royal and other events. Buns are thrown by local dignitaries from the roof of the County Hall to the populace. (This year we saw the introduction of an ingredients list so that there was no problems with the modern problem of allergies.)
The reason for the 2018 bun throw was to celebrate, one hundred years ago, the end of the WW1 . The dignitaries, aided by a few soldiers with good throwing skills, threw the buns.
It was raining rain
as well as buns.
Thankyou to Elizabeth for sending me this picture of her grandson with some buns. One is the special centenary buns with a poppy.
Richard Gottfried has been running the World of Bun Throwing Blog since 2006, and has attended every bun throwing in his lifetime. He was born in Abingdon and comes back for every bun throw.
This time he got hit by a bun while taking a selfie.
After the people had gone there were rich picking for the Abingdon pigeons. They love bun throwing too.