New AbITs in 2006

Years of planning and consultation are over, and the construction of the AbITS ( Abingdon Integrated Transport Strategy) town centre scheme has started. It starts with the removal of that pedestrian island outside Coxeters. We will all have to get into new habbits.

New Years Resolution

Its taken a few days but I've carried out the new year resolution to go swimming... down at the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre. Its a recent addition to Abingdon, built about three years ago off Audlett Drive. We used to swim at the Old Gaol which now stands boarded up waiting for a new use.

An adult swim at the leisure centre costs £2.80. Lockers are 20p but you get that back afterwards. There is a little spin drier for your swim wear. Put your trunks into the little drum, hold down the lid... vroooooom...and they are dry in ten seconds. And there are little robots that go about on the pool floor cleaning the water after hours.

Three Men in a Boat

Griff Rhys Jones, Dara O'Briain and Rory McGrath have been retracing the comic journey in Jerome K. Jerome's novel 'Three Men in a Boat'. They rowed from Kingston to Oxford, passing through Abingdon this evening on BBC2.

Unwins, Lucy, and Movie Zone

For months Unwins have had a few cans of lager and a packets of crisps. A couple of weeks ago we heard they have gone into liquidation. But now they have begun to fill up the shelves again, and there is a new sign 'Under New Management - Threshers Group'. Still not got much variety on the shelves: hundreds of cans of Stella, and bottles of Famous Grouse Whisky.

Kelvin Lucy, a local newsagent on the High Street has also closed. Among all the clutter is a notice to say that they have moved to 14 Ock Street where they will do newspapers and food.

Another shop on the way out is the Movie Zone on Ock Street. It has been there for about 12 months lending DVDs. Didn't quite make that dream into reality.

Old Map with Modern Buildings

This map was created in 1440 by the monks of Abingdon Abbey. However, it has been updated with some modern buildings - circa 1600.

New Nursing Home

This builidng is between the Ock Mill Beefeater Restaurant and TSA (Tyre Sales Abingdon ). What is strange is that it has no billboards to proclaim what it will be. Normally one would expect that a new nursing home for elderly people would dazzle us with how many beds it will provide, who is funding it, and what a great facility it will be. But no. That is yet to come.

Worn Stone Slab

It may take many generations of feet to wear away one of these layers from the stones slabs that path the undercroft of the County Hall. And yet all those generations have gone their way and the stone remains with their slight impress.

The Abingdon Bridge (TAB)

It is no longer the Bridge Drop-in centre but the Bridge Youth Advisory Centre: doing the same thing but with a different emphasize.

The Abingdon Bridge has been going for about twelve years. They work with young people aged 13-22, offering information and support. Traditionally, the Bridge has been there as a safety net for the more disadvantaged young people, helping in areas such as:

• Housing & Benefits
• Sexual Health and Family Support
• Counselling
• Drugs & Alcohol
• Computer Club (helping young people with new skills)
• Support when coming out of prison

The bridge website has a large list of links including 26 links for drugs and alcohol. One interesting link is to urban75 which has a urban75 blog 50 times cooler than This Abingdon Blog.

Hear ye Hear Ye - God Save The Queen

Hear ye, hear ye! The Mayor and Town Council wish you a Happy New Year! God Bless Abingdon, God Save the Queen!' The Town Crier rang her bell and we beat the bounds.

Not that many boundary stones but we all got invited into one modern back graden to eat mince pies and view a lump of grey boundary stone. One hundred people and 25 mince pies. I didn't get one.