ATMD Diary of 2020
Wednesday 1st January 2020: danced at the Punch Bowl and Kings Head & Bell to a good crowd, especially at the Punch Bowl. Music in the Kings Head & Bell afterwards until it shut at 4.
In March 2020 the coronavirus pandemic started, and the country went into lockdown soon afterwards. The following events in 2020 were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic:
- Thursday 19th March: The Mayors Challenge
- Saturday 21st March: Nag’s Head re-opening
- Sunday 19th April: Oxford Folk Weekend
- Thursday 23th April: St Georges Day Tour in town
- Saturday 25th April: St. George’s Day Celebrations in Wallingford
- Friday 1st May: Oxford May Morning
- Saturday 16th May: Rob Beaver and Jessica’s Wedding
- Sunday 17th May: Abingdon Air & Country Show
- Monday 25th May: Harwell Feast
- Monday 25th May: Bampton (evening)
- Saturday 11th July: Westminster Abbey school fete
- Saturday 18th July: Old Woodstock Mock Mayor
- Sunday 31st August: Abingdon Air & Country Show (again)
- Sunday 6th September: Bunkfest
- Saturday 19th September: Abingdon Heritage Day
On Sunday 31st May Abingdon held a ‘Lockdown Zoo Day’ where people were encouraged to display animals in their front gardens so that families and groups could see them from the road. Anthony Walker exhibited his magnificent Lego model of County Hall, and the Abingdon Traditional Miniature Dancers appeared in it.
Saturday 20th June was the date of Mayor’s Day. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, there was no election, so no change of Mayor. At 4pm a small group met at the car park of the Brewery Tap and processed to the former Cross Keys and back. There was no publicity for this and the crowd we attracted was one person, who did not stay for the whole procession. The procession consisted of the Horns (Richard Grimsdale-Yates), Mayor (Harry Knight), Fool (Roger Cox), musician (Dave Spiers), dancer / musican (Rob Charlton), dancer / ex-Mayor (Duncan Brown) and a Green Man (Anthony Walker). Rob did a solo jig at the ex Cross Keys. Back at the Tap, the surprised management greeted us with a couple of jugs of beer. The evening festivities were replaced by an online Zoom event, with guests from Belgium, Scotland, USA as well as the usual suspects. In addition to the usual songs, there was an online virtual mummers play with stop-motion animation of Lego characters.
Videos of the Mayor’s Day 2020 events: Jig at the ex Cross Keys ——— Back at the Tap ——- Mummers play
Due to the severe limitations on performances in pubs at the time due to the pandemic, there were no mummers play tours in 2020.