Abingdon swan upping

[AuntyRinum]

I witnessed the swan upping ceremony at Abingdon a couple of years ago. A large crowd waited ages for a small group in boats and fancy dress. When they finally pulled out into the river and stood up very shakily to raise a glass in a toast to something or other some of the spectators had already started to drift off. There wasn't a swan in sight so it didn't appear to have anything to do with swan upping. Not worth the wait.

 

[Harry Hogwash]

But worth sticking ones neck out/
These phony folk customs are really rather banal.
They are so insipid and patrolled by Nanny that its amazing any joy or fun can be gleaned at all from them
But of course in a banal isolated place like High Noon ANYTHING out the ordinary banality is desperately welcome.
No matter how sad or lack lustre.
I think a good ol Hog roast out on the heath is better park up the kublewagens,
pile out start knocking back the lowenbrou bring in the frauelines get the oompah band going
light the bonfires and hey ho way we go.

 

[Brayman]

I witnessed the swan upping ceremony at Abingdon a couple of years ago. A large crowd waited ages for a small group in boats and fancy dress. When they finally pulled out into the river and stood up very shakily to raise a glass in a toast to something or other some of the spectators had already started to drift off. There wasn't a swan in sight so it didn't appear to have anything to do with swan upping. Not worth the wait.

The ceremony you witnessed was the completion of the swan Upping process. If you wanted to see swans being upped you should have gone down river!

 

[Harry Hogwash]

Abingdon is very dirty in the centre especially around the Charter.
Did you know Ock Street used to be named Pig Row before they built Saxton Road?
At St Nicholas Church last Sunday I counted seven worshippers all with grey hair looking over 70.
The whole place is teeming with fat thicko chavs.
They chuck their litter everywhere.
Their diet is Poundland Costa and Greggs.
Theres not one nightspot one theatre one discotheque one cinema .
Theres an atmosphere of insecurity as many are on Universal Credit.
A few beggars pollute the precinct propagating their negativity instead of asking the bank to give them some money.
If you go out wearing cleaned shoes smart trousers and a clean coat Helot mouths drop open with
amazement.
The posh public school lives in complete apartheid segregation from the townsfolks.Seperated behind tall stone walls.
Inculcating us & them culture.
Its all pathetic and useless.Utterly miserable and cretinous.
No wonder all the good shops and factories and business left decades ago!
Theres a long line at the GPs as the obese fat poundland munching fag smoking cretins endeavour to
get another script.
Dogs are everywhere.Manky looking ones.
Just GO back to Wolverhampton or wherever the heck it was you came from!
Abingdon is a nice historic town but these folks ruin it for everybody.