Behind the kiosk of the open air swimming pool there is a small area of edible plants.
It is amazing to see how many different edible plants the Abingdon Carbon Cutters have managed to grow in such a small area. Lettuces are in season, and you can pick your own.
The wild flower meadow nearby is also blooming.
That is another project of Abingdon Carbon Cutters – with their “local response to climate change.”
The Abingdon and District Twin Towns Society (ADTTS) are holding an English Language Course this week. The “students” arrived on Saturday 11th July. I met them, by chance, as they arrived at the Conduit Centre (part of Trinity Church) for a shared lunch on Sunday. They had been sight seeing in Abingdon that morning.
The “students” come from twin towns in Italy, France and Belgium. They will study each morning in the upstairs rooms at 35 Ock Street, then have afternoon outings to places like The Diamond Light Source, Dorchester, Henley-on-Thames, and Oxford.
Students stay with host families, and return home on 18th July. There was a German Language Course last month in twin town Schongau – with seven members of ADTTS attending.
There was a lot going on at the Play and Activity Day at Southern Town Park. It already looks to be one of the best play areas in Abingdon with
Into this setting were brought: a drumming workshop and go-carting.
Behind the Mayor of Abingdon, Cllr Helen Pighills, can be seen body zorbing, giant Jengo, and dominos.
Lots of other agencies were there. The local police and PCSOs were there building links with young people.
The Fire Brigade were there letting children look round their fire engine.
The basketball court had been turned into a mobile skatepark. A graffitti wall stood in front. The Abingdon Childrens’ Centres, and Mobile Childrens Centre (used for villages) were there, as was the library with some free books, and the Church in Abingdon supplying free drinks and cakes.
Lots of groups and agencies had been brought together for the Play and Activity Day at Southern Town Park. And the sunshine helped to make it a success.
This evening at the Unicorn Theatre in Abingdon we were lucky enough to have tickets to see the final performance of The Elephant Man, directed by Terry Atkinson. Terry remembers the film version from an early age, and has been so captivated by the story that he directed it at the Unicorn Theatre in Abingdon.
The portrayal of the Elephant Man, John Merrick, by Duncan Blagrove, was excellent – both moving, and a feat a strength.
The play begins with Merrick, as an exploited act in a Victorian ‘freak show’ who comes under the protection of Dr Frederick Treves. Treves introduces him to Mrs. Kendal, an actress, in whom he finds a soul mate.
The first half ended movingly with Merrick remembering his hard life in the workhouse, banging out the punishments he had received on the soap shelf of his bathtub.
Lighting and special effects transformed the dream sequences in the second half of the play. Merrick always had to sleep sitting up, but the final dream sequence ended with Merrick laying down on his bed like normal people do, and dying as a result.
It was a play that made us have to rethink how we treat people who are very different from us.
Pictures were taken from the Abingdon Drama Club. Many more pictures are on the Abingdon Drama Club Facebook Page.