Railway Women

The history of the railways is often seen as dominated by men, and it is true that women started to drive the trains only recently: the first female train driver was Karen Harrison in 1978. But there is a lot more to running the railways than just driving the trains, and women have participated in

The Ubiquitous J.T. Morland

When doing research for the Museum’s recent exhibition about Morland’s brewery and the Morland family, I got to know some members of the family better. One of the themes of the exhibition was how the Morland family was embedded in the life of the town, not just the business life, but the civic and social

Swans in Abingdon

Today (Friday 22nd July) is the last day of this year’s swan upping, due to finish at Abingdon Bridge at 5 in the afternoon. Perhaps you have seen the signs, and perhaps you have seen it before and know all about it. You might also have heard that all swans in this country belong to

On the Throwing of Buns

Did you go to the Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing? I recently mentioned the throwing of buns to some friends, and they were amused, puzzled and intrigued. Throwing actual buns? From the roof? Where did that strange idea come from? In this blogpost I will try to illuminate the origins of the Bun Throwing in Abingdon,

Celebrating the Queen

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is in full swing by now. As I write this, flags have gone up on the lampposts here in Abingdon, souvenir mugs are on sale, and even the postbox in the Market Place is adorned with a crown. We are looking forward to the Jubilee Bun Throwing in June. So perhaps

Platteln for the Queen

As we all know, the Queen has two birthdays. One is the 21st April (today!), the day on which she was actually born. Happy birthday, Your Majesty! The other is not a fixed date, but usually the second Saturday in June, the day on which the official celebrations take place. In June 2006 Abingdon celebrated

Abingdon’s Queen Victoria

This article attempts to describe the gift of the Queen Victoria statue to Abingdon and some of the many events to which it has been witness. Could she speak, she would have many a tale to relate about her time here from 1887. Before Queen Victoria, there was an obelisk on the Market Place, with

Extreme Weather in Abingdon: Rain and Flood

People have lived in Abingdon and in settlements in the same spot before the town existed for millennia. One of the reasons why they chose that spot for living is the location by the river. A river is a handy source of water, and it can be a natural barrier but also a vital transport

Abingdon Fair Past and Present

After we missed out on it last year, we could enjoy the fair again this year, filling the Market Place and stretching all the way down Ock Street. Today the Runaway Fair is on, and this gives us the opportunity to look back on the fair(s) of Abingdon in history. One of our team members

Lord Norreys of Rycote

The subject of this post, Sir Henry Norreys, Baron Norreys of Rycote, did not play much of a role in the history of Abingdon, although he did once hold the office of High Steward of Abingdon. He has multiple connections with the history of Berkshire and Oxfordhire, though, and is important as ancestor of the