Tuesday, May 07, 2024

Abingdon Bun Throwing - a year ago today

To mark the royal occasion of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort my home town of Abingdon-on-Thames held a bun throwing event in the Market Place on Sunday 7th May 2023.


Abingdon Bun Throwing in 2023
The crowd waiting for the buns to rain down

Abingdon holds bun throwing events to mark, mostly, special royal occasions. The events see local dignitaries ascend the steps of the old County Hall where they launch currant buns to the hoi polloi below.


The event began as a bread dole and evolved into a rooftop throwing event and its current incarnation. On this occasion a total of 5,000 buns were thrown to the crowd in the market place.

Abingdon Bun Throwing in 2023
With the one bun I got last time

The bun throw for the Coronation of King Charles III was the 37th bun throwing in Abingdon since 1761. It was the 17th bun throwing held in my lifetime - I've attended all of them since 1981.

A list of bun throwing events from 1761 to 2023
A list of bun throwing events from 1761 to 2023

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III

To mark the royal occasion of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort my home town of Abingdon-on-Thames held a bun throwing event in the Market Place on Sunday 7th May 2023.


Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III

Abingdon holds bun throwing events to mark, mostly, special royal occasions.

Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III

The events see local dignitaries ascend the steps of the old County Hall where they launch currant buns to the hoi polloi below.


The event began as a bread dole and evolved into a rooftop throwing event and its current incarnation. On this occasion a total of 5,000 buns were thrown to the crowd in the market place.

Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III

It was nice to visit Abingdon Museum and see the bun displays.

A view of Abingdon market place from inside the museum
A view of the market place from inside the museum

Bun Throwing display at Abingdon Museum

Bun Throwing in Abingdon

Bun Throwing in Abingdon

Bun Throwing in Abingdon

Bun Throwing display at Abingdon Museum

The bun throw for the Coronation of King Charles III was the 37th bun throwing in Abingdon since 1761. It was the 17th bun throwing held in my lifetime - I've attended all of them since 1981.

Bun Throwing in Abingdon

We'll have to wait and see what the next occasion will be to be marked by a bun throw...

Buns not buses
Buns not buses

Sunday, May 14, 2023

Videos from Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III

Videos from King Charles III's royal bun throwing event in Abingdon.


King Charles III's royal bun throwing event in Abingdon
King Charles III's royal bun throwing event in Abingdon

To mark the royal occasion of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort my home town of Abingdon-on-Thames held a bun throwing event in the Market Place on Sunday 7th May.

Abingdon holds bun throwing events to mark, mostly, special royal occasions.

The events see local dignitaries ascend the steps of the old County Hall where they launch currant buns to the hoi polloi below.

The event began as a bread dole and evolved into a rooftop throwing event and its current incarnation. On this occasion a total of 5,000 buns were thrown to the crowd in the market place.



You can read more and see photos of this bun throw here.

Monday, May 08, 2023

Abingdon Bun Throwing - Coronation of King Charles III

A report from King Charles III's royal bun throwing event in Abingdon.


Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III
There was more than one bun at the BUN THROW

To mark the royal occasion of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort my home town of Abingdon-on-Thames held a bun throwing event in the Market Place on Sunday 7th May.

Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III
The people want buns! What a crowd at the bun throwing in Abingdon. This photo location was near 'Stroll In'

Abingdon holds bun throwing events to mark, mostly, special royal occasions.

Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III
Only buns and people were allowed in Abingdon between 4pm and 7pm

The events see local dignitaries ascend the steps of the old County Hall where they launch currant buns to the hoi polloi below.

Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III
I was lucky enough to see the arrival of the buns on the morning of the event!

The event began as a bread dole and evolved into a rooftop throwing event and its current incarnation. On this occasion a total of 5,000 buns were thrown to the crowd in the market place.

Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III
One bun and done

The bun throw for the Coronation of King Charles III was the 37th bun throwing in Abingdon since 1761. It was the 17th bun throwing held in my lifetime - I've attended all of them since 1981.

Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III
The calm before the storm

This time we mixed things up a bit and positioned ourselves in front of St Nicolas Church rather than our more usual position in the thick of the action in the middle of the market place.

Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III
The scene a few hours later as the buns rained down

My brother Jon was in the centre and manged to catch three buns.

I had one - scrambled off the ground.

My mum and dad were even further back than us and still managed to net a bun - possibly the furthest one flung on our side of the crowd.

Christopher managed to snag one too.

Emily came close to catching some.

Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III
One bun that had no takers after the event

We were discussing when the next bun throwing will take place, and what the occasion will be. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the future holds...

Here's the full list of Abingdon Bun Throwing events between 1761-2023:
1761 Coronation of King George III
1810 Golden Jubilee of King George III
1821 Coronation of King George IV
1831 Coronation of King William IV
1837 Coronation of Queen Victoria
1856 Declaration of Peace at the end of the Crimean War
1863 Marriage of the Prince of Wales to Princess Alexandra
1887 Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria
1897 Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria
1902 Coronation of King Edward VII
1911 Coronation of King George V
1935 Silver Jubilee of King George V
1937 Coronation of King George VI
1946 VE Day
1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
1956 Visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Abingdon
1966 Abingdon International Week
1974 End of the Borough of Abingdon
1977 Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
1980 The Queen Mother’s 80th Birthday
1981 Marriage of the Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer
1986 Marriage of the Duke of York to Sarah Ferguson
1987 40th Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II
1990 The Queen Mother’s 90th Birthday
1995 50th Anniversary of VE Day
1997 50th Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II
2000 Millennium
2000 The Queen Mother’s 100th Birthday
2002 Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
2006 450th Anniversary of Abingdon Charter/Queen Elizabeth II’s Official Birthday
2006 450th Anniversary of Abingdon Charter/Visit by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal
2011 Marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton
2012 The Queen's Diamond Jubilee
2016 The Queen's 90th Birthday
2018 100 year anniversary of the Armistice
2022 The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
2023 Coronation of His Majesty The King, Charles III, and Her Majesty The Queen Consort

Abingdon County Hall Museum kindly provided details of the Recorded Bun Throwings to 1997.

There have also been three unofficial Bun Throwing events in the town:
2012 World Bun Throwing Championships to find the town's best bun thrower
2014 Bun Throwing at Abingdon Fire Station to celebrate its 50th anniversary
2016 World Bun Throwing Championships to find the town's best bun thrower

Take a look at this post on the excellent Abingdon Blog for more photos and action from the event.

Thursday, May 04, 2023

Abingdon Bun Throwing - Sunday 7th May

Information about Abingdon's next Bun Throwing.

You can find full details of the Bun Throwing on Sunday 7th May on the Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council website.

The festivities begin with the band playing at 4pm, with the first bun due to be thrown to the crowd at 5.15pm.

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon, 2022
Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon, 2022

Friday, March 24, 2023

Abingdon Bun Throwing for the Coronation of King Charles III

Details of the bun throwing to mark the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.


The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May 2023.

To mark the royal occasion my home town of Abingdon-on-Thames will be holding a bun throwing event in the Market Place at 4pm on Sunday 7th May.


Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon, 2022
Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon, 2022

The bun throw for the Coronation of King Charles III will be the 37th Bun Throwing in Abingdon since 1761. The town holds the event to mark, mostly, special royal occasions.

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
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

It'll be the 17th bun throwing held in my lifetime.



Abingdon Bun Throwing events - 1761-2022:
1761 Coronation of King George III
1810 Golden Jubilee of King George III
1821 Coronation of King George IV
1831 Coronation of King William IV
1837 Coronation of Queen Victoria
1856 Declaration of Peace at the end of the Crimean War
1863 Marriage of the Prince of Wales to Princess Alexandra
1887 Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria
1897 Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria
1902 Coronation of King Edward VII
1911 Coronation of King George V
1935 Silver Jubilee of King George V
1937 Coronation of King George VI
1946 VE Day
1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
1956 Visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Abingdon
1966 Abingdon International Week
1974 End of the Borough of Abingdon
1977 Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
1980 The Queen Mother’s 80th Birthday
1981 Marriage of the Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer
1986 Marriage of the Duke of York to Sarah Ferguson
1987 40th Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II
1990 The Queen Mother’s 90th Birthday
1995 50th Anniversary of VE Day
1997 50th Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II
2000 Millennium
2000 The Queen Mother’s 100th Birthday
2002 Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
2006 450th Anniversary of Abingdon Charter/Queen Elizabeth II’s Official Birthday
2006 450th Anniversary of Abingdon Charter/Visit by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal
2011 Marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton
2012 The Queen's Diamond Jubilee
2016 The Queen's 90th Birthday
2018 100 year anniversary of the Armistice
2022 The Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Abingdon County Hall Museum kindly provided details of the Recorded Bun Throwings to 1997.

There have also been three unofficial Bun Throwing events in the town:
2012 World Bun Throwing Championships to find the town's best bun thrower
2014 Bun Throwing at Abingdon Fire Station to celebrate its 50th anniversary
2016 World Bun Throwing Championships to find the town's best bun thrower

Monday, June 06, 2022

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon

There was a Bun Throwing in Abingdon-on-Thames to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.


Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon

A special bun throwing event to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee took place in Abingdon-on-Thames at 5pm on Sunday 5th June 2022.

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
A call to action!

5,000 currant buns were thrown to the crowd in the Market Place and High Street below as part of the tradition that dates back to 1761.

Watch the window on the right hand side of this video for a superb bun throwing moment!


This was the 36th Bun Throwing in Abingdon since 1761. The town holds the event to mark, mostly, special royal occasions. It was the 16th bun throwing held in my lifetime and it's an event I've never missed.


Photos from the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon.


Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
The buns in flight

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
One of the main rules of bun throwing

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
The calm before the storm

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
A view of the Market Place in the early afternoon

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
Bun info

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
The crowd beginning to form at around 4.15pm

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
The Morris Dancers entertaining the crowd

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
The rules were adhered to

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
A view of the crowd and the dignitaries before the bun throwing commenced

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
Buns in flight

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
I moved in for a closer view. I didn't catch any this time. Except for one I got caught bouncing off the top of my head!

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
Puddle buns

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
After the action. We were lucky to have dry weather for the event

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
A post-bun throwing view of the old County Hall

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
One of the clean-up crew

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
You'd never really know that the event had taken place just a few hours before

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
Except there were still some unclaimed buns under a car parked on East St Helen Street

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
And there was still a bun stuck on the spikes above the charity shop (aka Bragg's bike shop) on the High Street 

Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing in Abingdon
And the puddle buns were still there!

Abingdon Bun Throwing events - 1761-2022:

  • 1761 Coronation of King George III
  • 1810 Golden Jubilee of King George III
  • 1821 Coronation of King George IV
  • 1831 Coronation of King William IV
  • 1837 Coronation of Queen Victoria
  • 1856 Declaration of Peace at the end of the Crimean War
  • 1863 Marriage of the Prince of Wales to Princess Alexandra
  • 1887 Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria
  • 1897 Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria
  • 1902 Coronation of King Edward VII
  • 1911 Coronation of King George V
  • 1935 Silver Jubilee of King George V
  • 1937 Coronation of King George VI
  • 1946 VE Day
  • 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
  • 1956 Visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Abingdon
  • 1966 Abingdon International Week
  • 1974 End of the Borough of Abingdon
  • 1977 Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
  • 1980 The Queen Mother’s 80th Birthday
  • 1981 Marriage of the Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer
  • 1986 Marriage of the Duke of York to Sarah Ferguson
  • 1987 40th Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II
  • 1990 The Queen Mother’s 90th Birthday
  • 1995 50th Anniversary of VE Day
  • 1997 50th Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II
  • 2000 Millennium
  • 2000 The Queen Mother’s 100th Birthday
  • 2002 Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
  • 2006 450th Anniversary of Abingdon Charter/Queen Elizabeth II’s Official Birthday
  • 2006 450th Anniversary of Abingdon Charter/Visit by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal
  • 2011 Marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton
  • 2012 The Queen's Diamond Jubilee
  • 2016 The Queen's 90th Birthday
  • 2018 100 year anniversary of the Armistice
  • 2022 The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
Abingdon County Hall Museum kindly provided details of the Recorded Bun Throwings to 1997.

There have also been three unofficial Bun Throwing events in the town:

  • 2012 World Bun Throwing Championships to find the town's best bun thrower
  • 2014 Bun Throwing at Abingdon Fire Station to celebrate its 50th anniversary
  • 2016 World Bun Throwing Championships to find the town's best bun thrower