My first bun throwing in Abingdon

A Bun Throwing was held in my home town of Abingdon on this day in 1981. It was the first one I attended.

The curious tradition sees the mayor and other dignitaries climb to the top of the old County Hall to throw hundreds or thousands of currant buns down to the townsfolk gathered in the market place below.

The team at Abingdon Museum posted about the Bun Throwing that took place in Abingdon to celebrate the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on this day in 1981.

From our #bunthrowing #collection, here's a bun decorated with the initials CD to mark the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer #onthisday 1981.#abingdon #traditions #museumfromhome pic.twitter.com/h4aJpp7b8Q

— Abingdon County Hall Museum (@AbingdonMuseum) July 29, 2020

At less than a year old I can't imagine I knew what was going on that first time, nor caught any buns! I probably did scoff some my mum and dad had caught though.

Abingdon County Hall Museum has a collection of buns preserved from bun throwings dating back many years. These are the currant buns from the Bun Throwing that celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012. A total of 6,000 buns were thrown on that occasion

The last bun throwing held in the town to date was in 2018 to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War. That bun throwing was the 35th event since 1761.

There have been 15 Bun Throwing events in my lifetime.

Check out my World of Bun Throwing blog for more information.