Abingdon events

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Cycling, MG cars, rowing and WWII commemoration all part of an unmissable day in Abingdon

Abingdon is the place to be this Sunday – there’s so much going on you’ll be spoilt for choice!

Start the day on your bike with the Abingdon Cycle Festival which runs from 9am to 4pm with free rides and cycling activities for all ages and abilities.

The event, which offers more than 20 rides for road and mountain bikes and anything else with two wheels, aims to encourage as many as possible to get on their bikes, with rides starting from the Market Square from 9am.

Live music, food and bike displays add to the atmosphere and make for a great family day.

For more on this visit the Freewheeling site

 

If four wheels are more your thing then Abingdon MG car club is holding a rally leaving from Miele at 10am. The classic cars are always a great attraction for watching crowds.

For more details on this see the MG Car Club Abingdon site.

 

From the roads to the river with the Abingdon Spring Head of the River Rowing Festival – more than 360 boats from across the country will race on the Thames watched by spectators at Rye Farm Meadow and along the course past the Marina and along to Culham weir.

There’s a BBQ, local beer, tea and cakes, Morris dancing and much more to enjoy too.

The racing starts around 10am, for more on this visit Abingdon Rowing Centre

 

And if you’re still hungry for more then step back in time with The Thames at War, 1940s Day at Abingdon lock commemorating the water-borne Home Guard during the Second World War, the Upper Thames Patrol.

The day (10am to 4pm) will be full of fun with Home Guard displays, exhibitions, talks, re-enactors, military vehicles and vintage boats, including Dunkirk little ships.

Find out more at the Thames at War website

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Male cancer awareness week

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The eleventh Orchid Male Cancer Awareness Week, from 8th 14th April, encourages all men to check their “bits”

This important annual campaign raises awareness of male specific cancers – prostate, testicular and penile cancer – providing practical advice, support and information on the detection, diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.

West Sussex Urology Consultant surgeons, Barnaby Chappell & Simon Woodhams are urging men to get to know their prostate and routinely check their testicles. They explain that most men are pretty unaware of the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer or know what to look for when they check their testicles.

Many men who develop prostate cancer don’t develop any symptoms at all.  But getting up at night as well as going very frequently and perhaps rushing to the loo, those are all the common symptoms of any prostate problem. Prostate Cancer is a very serious disease and in fact it’s the second most common cause of men dying from cancer in the UK.  If men do have symptoms it’s very worthwhile having this sort of problem excluded.  It comes as figures show more than half of men don’t actually know where their prostate is.  It’s the second biggest cancer killer in men.

Most men’s testicles are about the same size, though it’s common for one to be slightly bigger than the other. It’s also common for one testicle to hang lower than the other.  The testicles should feel smooth, without any lumps or bumps, and firm but not hard. You may feel a soft tube at the back of each testicle, which is called the epididymis.  If you notice any changes or anything unusual about your testicles, you should get checked out.

If you’re a guy who puts off going to see the doctor, you’re not alone but sometimes it’s good to talk. It’s a common problem among men…a reluctance to talk about health and more specifically, the prostate, penis or bladder. It’s understandable really, problems ‘down there’ don’t exactly make us feel our most masculine and talking about any type of health issue isn’t easy.

Barnaby Chappell & Simon Woodhams are Consultant Urologists at Western Sussex Hospitals and practice privately at Goring Hall Hospital near Worthing.

  For more information visit www.westsussexurology.co.uk

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Seesaw record

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Seesaw record bid promises more ups and downs than Brexit 

If you’re in the Twyford area – and even if you’re not – you won’t want to miss this! 

Beginning on Saturday, 13th April, a record attempt is taking place for the amount of time spent going up and down on a seesaw. The event is set to last until Tuesday, 16th April. 

‘Bouncers’ will be attempting to recreate the efforts, 50 years ago, of Twyford Youth Club members David Turner and David Sutch, who remained on the same seesaw for an impressive 80 hours, bouncing 57,810 times. 

Now David T is masterminding an attempt to equal if not better that. But it’s not for the faint-hearted, he says: “It really does mean at least 80 hours continuously. Participants will sleep, eat and deal with calls of nature without getting off the seesaw.” 

He has built a giant-sized seesaw, complete with seats from his car and designed it for the users’ comfort. 

It’s all in aid of a newly-established charity Twyford Community Hub, a plan which aims to turn the former Polehampton Boys School, where the challenge will be attempted, into a library and central venue for local organisations. 

David has yet to name the two people who will attempt the bouncing and helpers are always welcome, but as David says the key to success for him is to raise the money to refurbish the former school building. 

He says: “For that I need people to sponsor the attempt, make donations, or meet some of the inevitable expenses. 

“This is one event where we can guarantee that will be ups and downs along the way but just imagine the kudos for a business sponsor who can say ‘We are world record breakers’. “ 

Check out the facebook event

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Oar-some day

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The annual Oxford vs Cambridge university Boat Race takes place on the Thames in south west London today and will be watched by thousands not just along the banks but on the television too.

But did you know of its much more humble origins almost 200 years ago? 

The first boat race was staged after two school friends Charles Wordsworth (nephew of the poet) and a student at Christ Church in Oxford and Charles Merrivale of St John’s Cambridge, decided to set up a challenge after Wordsworth had been rowing on the Cam. 

A letter was written from St John’s to Christ Church stating “that the University of Cambridge hereby challenge the University of Oxford to row a match at or near London, each in an eight-oared boat during the ensuing Easter vacation”. 

That first boat race took place in Henley on 10th June 1829 with Oxford the victors – their boat can still be seen today in Henley’s River & Rowing Museum. 

For the next 25 years races only happened sporadically with the second taking place in 1836 in London. 

Today the event is one of the most eagerly-anticipated in the sporting calendar with not just the men’s eight taking to the water but the Women’s Boat Race and races between the reserve crews too. 

The course is four miles, 374 yards long and stretches from Putney to Mortlake and was first used in 1845. 

And there are many great spots for fans to enjoy the races from along the Thames including Putney and Hammersmith bridges, Chiswick Pier and Thames Reach. 

There’s also a fan park at Bishop’s Park in Fulham where you’ll find a big screen to watch the BBC coverage live, bars and street food vendors and at Furnivall gardens in Hammersmith where the Wainwright Fan Park will serve up a few pints of the official beer of the 2019 boat race, Wainwright The Golden Beer, alongside street food. Both parks are free to enter and family friendly. 

 The men’s race is due to start at 3.10pm and the women’s at 2.13pm. The fan parks open at 12pm. 

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Easter Passion Play

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Join the community event in the Abbey Grounds and witness the Passion Play

The Big Easter Event in Abingdon on Saturday, 6th April, is set to be great fun for the whole community with the highlight being the Passion Play.

It tells of the dramatic final days of Jesus’s life. The rollercoaster from adoration by the crowds through plotting, cynical power politics, suffering and betrayal to the end…but what end?

The aim of putting on the Passion Play is not to project any particular interpretation of the events of those days, but to encourage people to think about the events in their own way…what do they mean? Should they mean something? So what happened and why did it happen?

This will be the third time that the Passion Play attempts to answer these questions, after 2013 and 2016, but this time with a difference. The 2019 staging will be a completely new production featuring a small team of professional actors from LAMPS  Collective, an Abingdon based theatre company. These will be supported by a large ensemble of amateur actors and singers who will have the exciting opportunity of performing alongside them – many local people who been attending auditions and rehearsals over the past few weeks. It builds on the experience of the successful creative team which staged previous productions and will once again be directed by Sam Pullen-Campbell.

The Passion Play will be re-inacted from 2pm to 3pm in the Abbey Grounds, where beforehand the Big Easter Event which starts at 12.30pm will entertain with live music from local choirs and musicians, food including lots of chocolate, spring crafts and games and stalls.

For more to do at Easter, check out our Easter egg-stravaganza

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Full steam ahead

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Step back in time as Didcot Railway Centre launches Lady of Legend

The Great Western Society will see 15 years of hard work, sweat and tears realised when Lady of Legend is officially launched at Didcot Railway Centre.

Since 2004, the society has been working to recreate an example of the iconic ‘Saint’ class locomotive and now work is complete it will be unveiled by culinary queen Prue Leith, a former member of the British Railways Board, on Friday, 5th April at 11.15am.

The GWR ‘Saint’ class locomotives, introduced by G J Churchward in 1902, represented one of the most important steps forward in railway traction of the 20th century. The class incorporated many revolutionary advances in design and the ‘Saints’ are now acknowledged to have had a huge influence on almost every aspect of steam locomotive development.

The final engine, the Saint David, was withdrawn from service and scrapped in 1953, ending the work of the service – until now.

Lady of Legend will be on display over the weekend to visitors to the railway centre as will another well-known local lady, baking icon Christine Wallace, who will be familiar to many from Bake Off.

She will be found in a marquee at the centre cooking up Edwardian dishes from the era and dressed as Downton Abbey cook, Mrs Patmore. Edwardian cookery was quite lavish so visitors will be in for an extra treat with tastings available.

Also on show will be several other engines, coaches and wagons and you can enjoy a ride in coaches from the 1930s.

For more information and to book tickets, visit Didcot Railway Centre

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Mums in business

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Being a mum and running a business at the same time are tough but help is at hand from a business networking group. 

Mums in Business Association (MIBA) started as an online community in 2017 after sisters and mums Leona and Estelle felt there was a lack of support for mums in business. 

MIBA currently has 38,000 members and the same year the group launched local child-friendly networking events including in Berkshire and this week they are proud to hold their first in Newbury. 

The inaugural event tomorrow – Thursday, 4th April – is in the private room at the Slug & Lettuce, Wharf Street, Newbury, from 10.30am-12.30pm. 

Mums in business (MIB) attending can expect not just support and the benefit of networking as well as a warm friendly welcome but inspiring guest speakers who cover all manner of business topics, the opportunity to promote your business and a free goody bag and all without wondering how you’ll be able to attend such a meeting with your child. 

MIBA is keen to point out that their events are not restricted to mums only – all women are welcome, mums, soon-to-be mums, business owners, those thinking about starting a business and even those just in need of a positive female environment. 

The group’s main aim is to create “welcoming inspiring events where women feel comfortable to bring along their children”. 

Oh and there’s plenty of space to park buggies and the doors to be the private room can be shut to keep the little ones inside. 

For more information visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mibaberkshire 

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Easter egg-stravaganza

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Shell out on some family fun at these cracking Easter egg hunts.

Who doesn’t love an Easter egg hunt? You may pretend you’re helping your children or grandchildren around the trail looking for chocolate treats but in reality you can’t wait to join in the eggcellent fun yourself – chocolate doesn’t care how old you are. Here’s our round-up of some of the many hunts you can get cracking on during the Easter holidays.

Unless stated booking is not necessary for events

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Talking Point: Ben Fogle

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Liz Nicholls asks Ben Fogle about life, love and adventure ahead of his new children’s book – Mr Dog and the Rabbit Habit – hitting bookshop shelves.

Q. Which of your many adventures rank as your most thrilling..? And scariest? “Climbing Everest was the most exciting. There’s nothing as thrilling as being in the mountains; it’s humbling and terrifying in equal measure. The scariest moment was scuba diving with crocodiles – I went diving with wild Nile crocodiles in Botswana.”

Q. What was your favourite book as a child? “I loved books as a child. Dr Seuss was a favourite; he had such an irreverent, eccentric style and I love his lyricism. The Cat In The Hat is still a firm favourite. I don’t even need my children around as an excuse to read them again.
It’s like escaping back to my childhood.”

Q. You met your wife while walking your dog which is lovely! You love dogs don’t you? “I’ve always loved dogs. I grew up with two golden retrievers and a couple of parrots. We lived above my father’s veterinary clinic and our house was always filled with dogs. If any animals needed to stay overnight, they’d often come up to our house. Dogs are loyal, kind and forgiving. They love us unconditionally.”

Q. Would you say you’re romantic? “I’m romantic-ish. Marina and I like to have date nights.”

Q. How do you relax? Do you watch television? “I love walking with the dogs – it doesn’t matter where: London, Cornwall, Scotland. I like to listen to the sounds of nature, the bird life. I watch television during long journeys around the world – a lot of box sets. You name it and I’ve probably watched it. I loved Peaky Blinders and Vietnam.”

Q. You seem healthy and full of beans – what do you eat..? And do you have any bad habits that might make us all feel better? “I eat whatever I want. I try not to abstain nor diet but stick to meal times and not snack. Lots of fruit. Salt and vinegar crisps and dry white wine are my two vices.”

Q. Where are your favourite places in the UK for a staycation? “Too many. We spend lots of time in Cornwall and Devon. St Mawes is a perfect family place. We recently went to Heckfield House which was amazing, in Holkham, north Norfolk.”

Q. Is there anywhere in the world you’d still love to go? “Of course, so many places! I’ve never been to Madagascar. I’d also like to visit Jamaica.”

Q. Which four people (living or dead) would you invite to a dinner party? “Captain Scott, Che Guevara, Attenborough and Michael Palin.”

Q. What wish would you make to change the world in one way? “Evidence to impeach Trump.”

Mr Dog and the Rabbit Habit is out now – there’s also an audio version

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Wind in the Willows

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Help save Badger, Ratty, Mole and Toad and create a wilder future

Badger, Ratty, Mole and Toad are starring in a new campaign from The Wildlife Trust calling for a wilder future.

A Wind in the Willows trailer (below) featuring in cinemas this weekend shows the threats the much-loved characters are facing and what can be done to help our wildlife before it’s too late.

And it’s received backing from Sir David Attenborough as well as the stars who provide the characters’ voices – Stephen Fry as Badger, Catherine Tate as Ratty, Alison Steadman as Mole and Asim Chaudhry as Toad.

The trailer mirrors the reality of creatures such as the badger, water vole, mole and toad with disruption to their lives by roads, river pollution and intensive agriculture.

Kenneth Grahame wrote Wind in the Willows more than 100 years ago and in the time since it was published in 1908 many of the UK’s wild places and its wildlife have been destroyed.

Ratty, the water vole, is the UK’s most declining mammal and despite work to identify the number in Surrey it is unclear if any still exist in the county. It is presumed extinct.

Almost 70 per cent of toads have been lost over the last 30 years too.

The main problems wildlife face in this country are:

• Loss of habitat from intensive farming and places broken up by roads

• Climate change which disrupts breeding patterns, threatens life cycles and creates food shortages

CEO of Surrey Wildlife Trust, Sarah Jane Chimbwandira said: “People move to Surrey because they love the convenience of commuting to work and living within a beautiful county, with leafy neighbourhoods, iconic woodland views form the Surrey Hills and peaceful riverside walks.”

The decline in UK habitats since Kenneth Grahame’s wonderful tale is truly shocking

She added the county’s wildlife is in great decline and in for it to recover it is essential “to create a mass movement of people calling for change”.

Sarah Jane said: “The Wildlife Trust film is a sad version of The Wind in the Willows – showing how Ratty and Toad have hit the buffers – but it’s not too late to save them in Surrey. We can create strong laws to establish a Nature Recovery Network, which will enable a wider future and help nature make a comeback.”

The aim of the film is to inspire people to help by: contacting politicians to ask for stronger environmental laws; walking in the paw prints of others and imagine what wildlife needs to survive where you live and create a wilder future where you are by playing a part in making changes.

Alison Steadman who plays Mole said: “The decline in UK habitats since Kenneth Grahame’s wonderful tale is truly shocking. Millions of people in this country profess a love of wildlife and we need everyone to be taking it back action to bring about nature’s recovery.

“I wanted to take part in this film to help inspire people to get involved and bring our nature back.”

Sir David gave his support to The Wildlife Trust’s campaign saying: “What we create may not look exactly like the countryside that Kenneth Grahame drew such inspiration from, but our wildlife won’t mind just so long as it has the places it needs to live and thrive.”

Find out what you can do to get involved at www.surreywildlifetrust.org.uk and if you’re going to the cinema this weekend don’t forget to look out for the trailer.

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