Abingdon Clubs and Societies Day – Part 1 of 4

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The Abingdon Clubs and Societies Day took place today from 10 am to 2 pm at the Guildhall and Unit 24, Bury Street. I spoke with several stallholders and will feature some of them in the coming week.

On Sunday mornings at Lambrick Way, the Abingdon RFC Junior section takes to the field for rugby training. David Holt, chairman of the junior section, welcomes boys and girls aged 5 to under 18, saying, “The more, the merrier! It’s a warm and inspiring place where young players not only learn rugby but grow in confidence and make friends.”

Find out more at Abingdon RFC Junior Rugby.

For over twenty years, Abingdon Green Gym has brought volunteers together to improve the local environment while keeping fit and making friends. They meet on Saturday mornings, tackling a wide variety of tasks with a well-earned coffee break in between. Their work covers nature sites across Abingdon and beyond, and they welcome volunteers of all ages — no experience needed.

Their blog has been active since 2012, sharing examples of their work, and their latest programme can be found on their website.

Abingdon is home to a number of Girl Guide groups, offering girls the chance to make new friends, explore the outdoors, develop skills, and grow in confidence. Some groups have spaces available and welcome new members.

Guiding is also a great way for adults to get involved, whether by volunteering as a leader or helping occasionally as a parent. Any support makes a real difference to the lives of local girls and young women.

Find at more at oxfordshiregirlguiding.org.uk

AbiBinit! was formed to help keep Abingdon a litter-free town and promote pride in the local community. Litter picking is a simple way to make a difference — it’s exercise in the outdoors, connects people with nature, and encourages others to think twice before dropping rubbish.

The AbiBinit! 2025 programme includes three litter picks starting at Abingdon Lock, two of which will be supported by canoes. There are also two events planned in South Abingdon. The next group pick is on Saturday, 22nd March, starting at the MG Park on Marcham Road.

To reserve a place, email events@abibinit.org.

Albert Park Through the Year: February 2025

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Before we get any further through our year in the Albert Park, can I remind you of the Park Rules:
* No Golf Practice
* Dogs to be kept under full control – Kindly place foul   matter in bins provided.
* No fires, fireworks, or BBQs.
* No cars, motorcycles, or cycling.

Today, the last day of February, began foggy. A man on a mini tractor did the rounds, replacing litter bags in Albert Park, and helping keep order.

The Prince Albert memorial can be seen among the trees in this picture.

Christs Hospital of Abingdon, the charity that run the park, have a tree map and a list of trees at http://www.ch-of-abingdon.org/albert-park/natural-history/. From the map I can see this tree, much admired for its early blossom, is called Pissards Plum or Prunus cerasifera ‘Pissardii’ in Latin.


Lots of people walk in the park. St Michael and All Saints Church can be seen behind in this picture.

Robins are to be heard around the park, with their clear rapid song. Here is one near a less vocal but more aerobatic Blue Tit.

There are also magpies in the park. One for sorrow, two for …

After the fog, there were blue skies and sunshine. Crocuses opened.

Daffodils stood tall.

Conduit House (once used for conduiting spring water) and Trinity Church in Conduit Road can be seen in this picture near the park entrance. In older postcards there was a longer view, along the east path of the park, of Trinity but that sightline is now hidden by evergreens.

St Helen’s Churchyard

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St Helen’s closed churchyard is a space thousands of people walk through every day from South Abingdon to the town centre and back. The churchyard itself is fenced off, and people do not normally wander among its graves.

At present, in late February, white blossom softens one corner by the church.

The neat doors and windows of the Almshouses stand in contrast to the worn, leaning gravestones. Some of the gravestones seem to have been left as ornaments, while others appear to have been removed to make maintenance easier. Most of these stones are too worn to read. I am not sure when the last burial took place or when the churchyard was officially closed. The Town Council is now responsible for maintaining it.

Elsewhere in the churchyard, old tombs have been left undisturbed, covered in moss. Light filters through the trees, casting shadows on the stones, while dry leaves gather in the corners. Some names are still legible here, such as Mary Jenner and Richard Messenger Jenner. Mr. R. M. Jenner was a manager of the Savings Bank in Abingdon, according to the Berkshire Chronicle of 20th May 1843.

Shop Window Screens in Bury Street

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Shop window screens, like these on Bury Street in Abingdon, are becoming more common as businesses look for ways to catch people’s attention.

Shops have used screens for decades. Back in the 1970s, in Bury Street, the Cathode Ray Tube TVs in Radio Rentals and Wigfalls Television would sometimes show live TV. In the 2000s, plasma and LCD screens made digital displays more practical, and by the 2010s, LED technology bought in bigger, brighter, and more flexible screens.

In Bury Street, Newbury Building Society and Oxford Vapours both use screens to promote their services.

Oxford Vapours are not only standing up against unlicensed vape traders, and promoting their own products, they also show their charity of the year: My Life My Choice – an award-winning charity run by and for people with learning disabilities in Oxfordshire.