Woodcarvers at Abingdon Community Space

1 Reply

Woodcarvers
The Oxon and Bucks Branch of the British Woodcarvers Association are in residence this week at the Community Space on Bury Street up until Friday 16th October.
Woodcarvers
So you are very welcome to go in and see members at work,
Woodcarvers
see some of their work in progress,
Woodcarvers
and look at some of their finished works.

The branch is ten years old this year, and grew out of an evening class at Abingdon College led by Brian Eastoe. Club projects have included: the Abingdon 450th Charter Plaques, now on display in Abingdon Library; 15 plaques to celebrate 1,000 years of  Oxfordshire; and a Rocking Dragon which raised £10,000 for Help for Heroes.

The branch now meet on Thursday Evenings from 6:45 to 9:00pm at John Mason School They are led by Brian Eastoe, who has been carving for 60 years, and has an amazing collection of tools and books which he brings for the use of members.

Abingdon New builds starting in October 2015

15 Replies

Abingdon New builds
The Google Street View Camera last visited the Drayton Road in April.
Abingdon New builds
Six months later, trees have been cut down, and building supplies have been delivered to a field off the Drayton Road. For many years it was used by horses. Very soon it will be used for houses.
Abingdon New builds
The Google Camera drove by 65 Oxford Road in June 2015. The trees had already been cleared.
Abingdon New builds
In October, concrete has been poured into a mold cut from the soil – outlining the new build.

Abingdon Runaway Fair and Stratford Mop Coincide

Leave a reply

Abingdon Runaway Fair
The Runaway Fair was in town today. There were not quite so many attractions as usual, but that could because some of them have been enticed away to the big money of the Mop Fair in Stratford-upon-Avon – a fair like our Michaelmas Fair where people traditionally found employment.
Abingdon Runaway Fair
In days gone by people got their annual pay after harvest and went to find their next year’s employment at the Michaelmas Fair. The Runaway Fair, a week or two after, was the chance to escape a bad employment and find something better. Stratford has a traditional Runaway Mop in a week or two.

Stratford is similar to Abingdon in being a riverside town with traffic problems. Like Abingdon, they have had discussions about finding somewhere else, other than the town centre, for the annual fairs. Their District Council even put it to the vote in 2004, and 68% of those responding said it should remain at its current location.

Golden Leaves at St Helen’s Wharf in Abingdon

5 Replies

St Helens Wharf
A crew from Abingdon Rowing Club take a breather before rowing another punishing mile.
St Helens Wharf
Two longboats pass closer than the width of the River Thames at this point would allow.
St Helens Wharf
They are making room for all the anglers on the other bank where a match is in progress.
St Helens Wharf
By midday St Helen’s Wharf has brightened. The rowers and anglers are gone. The golden leaves remind us that time, like a river, so quickly passes by.