At Preston Road Community Centre, John puts up most of the decorations hanging from the roof;
while I put the trees together, and added baubles, tinsel and lights.
I thought we had done a great job until, walking home via Saxton Road, I saw the work of some Christmas decorating giants.
Thanks to Malcolm for this report from 6th December 1967.
Many older Abingdon residents will remember the Blackburn Beverley. These huge aeroplanes arrived at RAF Abingdon in March 1956 and were the biggest aircraft to go into RAF service at the time.
There were only three pilots qualified to fly them at the base so an intensive training programme started to supply aircrew for the two UK squadrons, both based at Abingdon. Residents of a certain age, especially those in the north of the town, will remember the ‘bumps and circuits’ carried out both day and night in the early days of service.
53 Squadron was amalgamated into 47 Squadron in 1963 and the latter was disbanded on 31st October 1967. The last two Beverleys departed Abingdon on the 6th December 1967 which is when the attached pictures were taken. I was a member of the local ATC squadron and myself and a friend were cadet ‘jollyriders’ who scrounged a lift.
The flightpath took the pair around the Isle of Wight – the air to air shot is over the Solent – with formation flypasts en-route over RAF Upavon (headquarters of Air Support Command at the time) and RAF Odiham.
These were followed by farewell flypasts over Abingdon – the approach lights can be seen in the final image – before landing at RAF Shawbury, where the two aeroplanes were handed to 27 MU and eventually the scrapman.
The 30th Abingdon Beavers Scouts, aged 6 and 7, have been volunteering. They have been putting their promise into action “I promise to do my best,To be kind and helpful..” by working with the community Abingdon Food Bank.
The Abingdon Foodbank visited the Beaver Scouts in September and ran an evening to understand why the foodbank is needed, how it works and what type of food is best to donate to help create balanced meals. After this visit, the Beaver Scouts have been doing good deeds and being kind and helping during the last few months to earn items to donate to the Abingdon Foodbank before Christmas including a few extra Christmas treat items. The Abingdon Foodbank visited last week to pick up all the donations from the Beaver Scouts.
The Beavers also took park in Parliament Week in the middle of November. The meeting hall was set up like parliament in Westminster.
Abingdon Town Councillor, Samantha Bowring talked with the Beavers about why and how local and national decisions are taken and how she was inspired to become a Councillor to help improve the local parks.
Beavers formed their own opinions on subjects, such as whether school uniform was a good idea then came up with ideas for the Beaver meeting the week after.
Three ideas were voted on using a secret ballot. Sledging in the dark was chosen and the Beavers went grass sledging in the dark the week after with the sledges lit up with fairy lights.
To allow these types of Scouting adventures to continue to inspire local boys and girls, aged between 6 to 14, we are in need of new volunteers in Abingdon, especially for Scouts. Scouts are aged 10 to 14.
Scout Leaders facilitate a wide range of adventurous activities. No one individual is likely to have the complete set of skills required to run an effective Scout Troop. Teamwork is key, and all the support you need is there in abundance at Group, District, County and National level. A great part of helping Scouts is seeing them develop into well-rounded teenagers. Contact the Group Scout Leader gsl@30thabingdon.org.uk for more information.
(Thankyou to Avril for this report and all the volunteers who keep the scouts going.)
American pizza chain Papa John’s have opened a franchise today in the former Smarts Fish and Chip Shop in the centre of Abingdon-on-Thames.
Papa John’s is the third-largest pizza delivery chain in the world behind Pizza Hut and Domino’s. So now Abingdon-on-Thames has the big three – as does Abingdon, Virginia.
But Abingdon, Virginia have a lot of other pizza shops we have not even heard of yet: Pizza Plus, Bella’s Pizza, Moon Dog Brick Oven, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Lyons Den Pizza …