Jess, who has been organising author events at Abingdon Library for a few years, hosted its first poetry reading tonight. Local poet Andrew Jamison, who has won awards, read from his latest collection, ‘Swans We Cannot See.’

Andrew’s poetry reading sparked many questions from the audience. One person liked the personal ones about a young family. Others were interested in how he created his poems. Andrew usually starts by listening to music to inspire the first line, and then the rest of the poem often flows. For this collection, he revised each poem many times to get them right. His influences include the renowned poet Seamus Heaney and contemporary Irish poets. Andrew is originally from Northern Ireland. As a teacher, he introduces students to classical poets like Wordsworth, Shakespeare and Milton, and he thought they too had some influence. He particularly enjoys the challenges of writing sonnets.

At the end of the evening, Jess presented a small gift, and people could buy copies of the book. You can find more about Andrew Jamison on his website: https://www.andrewjamison.co.uk/

Karin says seeing the Abingdon Passion Play 2024 take shape is great. When she visited, there were smiling faces from the Abingdon Passion Play singers and Musical Director Sally Mears at rehearsals at St Nicolas Church.

The actors at the Our Lady & St Edmund’s Parish Centre are immersed in rehearsing the script. The cast went very quiet as they rehearsed Jesus’ death on the cross.

They have had many moving moments.

But they have also had fun as they get to know each other during breaks.

There is still room for additional actors to be temple guards, soldiers, disciples and crowd, so do get in touch or join them at one of their rehearsals if you want to be part of this community project. Rehearsal times can be seen at https://www.abingdonpassionplay.co.uk/events/

There was a One Planet Abingdon Stall on the Market Place today. The focus from January – March 2024 is Waste Reduction. On the website https://oneplanetabingdon.org/green-forum/ there is a survey on Waste Reduction which takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. They also have four waste reduction challenges people can take on.

Coming up in April – June 2024 will be Grow Your Own.

Their base in the County Hall basement is open from Thursday to Saturday and most Sundays. There are homemade cakes, teas and coffees, soup, friendly volunteers happy to chat, displays on sustainability, an eco-library, and board games and puzzles.

As part of her efforts to help local people dealing with domestic abuse, Mayor Gwyneth Lewis of Abingdon organized a free movie night. They showed the 1944 film “Gaslight,” a black and white movie nominated for seven Oscars. This movie is a great example of emotional abuse and controlling behaviour.

This event happened on International Women’s Day. According to https://www.ncdv.org.uk/domestic-abuse-statistics-uk/ 1 in 4 women are currently affected by domestic abuse in their lifetime. A domestic abuse related call is made to the police every 30 seconds. It is estimated that less than 24% of incidents are reported.

Before the movie, there were talks by people from local organizations that can help with domestic abuse. Afterwards, everyone could ask questions about the talks and how to get help or improve the support available. The Mayor will continue with a working party taking these idea forward and to make Abingdon a safer place.

One such organisation is the Mayor’s Charity, Reducing the Risk. This charity works to keep people safe from domestic abuse. They offer support to victims and survivors, and also train professionals and volunteers who help people in abusive situations.

In the Bury Street Precinct on Thursday, were a group gathered seeking support for a proposed solar farm near Cumnor. The Cumnor Parish Council has voiced its opposition, citing concerns about the potential industrialization of the Greenbelt, the impact on the area’s natural beauty and character, disruption to public rights of way, agriculture, and ecological balance.

Conversely, the group advocating for the solar farm say it would play a role in countering climate change by helping the shift away from carbon energy sources. They said the project would contribute to biodiversity, emphasizing that the land could still be utilized for sheep grazing and wild life. With the consultation period closed, I was not sure of the benefit of signing a petition at this stage but the planning application on the VWHDC Planning portal has reference P23/V2624/FUL.

Meanwhile, nearby, Riverford Organic Farmers had a stall where people can sign up for organic vegetable and food boxes. The juxtaposition of these two stalls highlights the contrasting approaches to the use of farm land.

Organic farming, as exemplified by Riverford, relies on natural methods for pest control and fertilization. This method, while less intensive, is attractive to some consumers who are able and willing to pay a premium for naturally produced food.

The NSPCC stall on the Abingdon Market Place on Saturday was fundraising to help the NSPCC provide crucial services like the Childline helpline, support programs, and educational resources.

But they weren’t just there for money. Being at the market helped them remind people that keeping children safe is important. The NSPCC has a 10-minute digital training called “Listen Up, Speak Up” to learn what to do if you’re ever worried about a child or their family.

Happy St. David’s Day to all our Welsh friends! I could have looked out for daffodils, leaks, or red dragons. But daffodils were easiest as there are lots in Abingdon at the moment. The arc of dafs above are at the chancel end of Our Lady and St Edmund Church.

These are on Nags Head Island, where workmen are refurbishing what was Annie’s Boathouse, and will become the Abingdon Riverside Cafe.

Earlier today, there was a funeral service for Paul, the husband of Alex, the Salvation Army leader here. Instead of flowers, donations are to a charity called ADAPT that helps people rebuild their lives without illicit substances. You can learn more about them at: https://adaptoxford.org.uk/. The service was streamed online because Paul was originally from Dundee and many people couldn’t get there, and anyway there wasn’t enough space for everyone inside! Both the main hall and front hall were packed. You can watch the service on Abingdon Salvation Army page on Facebook.

The new Multi Use Games Area at Caldecott Recreation Ground is nearly finished! The access mats and heavy machines have gone.

Most of the construction, including the base, tarmac, fences, and basketball nets, looks complete. Line painting needs to be done.

This project by Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council will be a great space for basketball, netball, football, skating, and probably much more

This follows the installation of outdoor gym equipment in July 2022, adding to the recreation ground’s amenities.

Things are looking up for Caldecott. Volunteers are delivering a newsletter full of activities for young people and families in the area. The next edition will be out for Easter. The newsletter and other projects are financed by Community First Oxfordshire which is looking to increase health and wellbeing in targeted areas in Oxfordshire. See https://www.communityfirstoxon.org/caldecott-community-grants-apply-now.

Since January, the tortoise has moved from the birdbath to a large jug with yellow flowers.

Volunteer gardeners have strung new ropes across the trellis area. Most plants are still quite low and the view is uninterrupted.

The row of compost bins near the bottom of the garden are at different stages. Just the nearby bin is currently taking fresh organic materials. The others hold heating up compost or final compost.

A blackbird pecks for worms among the Hellebores. Hellebores flower during January and February. They establish themselves before other plants compete for resources in the spring and summer.

Daffodils are now on the lawn under the tree where the aconites flowered in January.

Pink Primroses brighten up some areas of the rockery.