Sunshine and Cobbles

A little sunshine is returning into our lives after a rather disappointing half term. This sun-dappled tenement is across Station Yard.

The cobbles can start to dry off in the evening sun along Old Abbey Close...

and round the bend into Chequer Walk.

Painting the White Lines Grey

Early this morning workmen were painting some of the white lines grey. The County Council have modified the trial road markings after the first few weeks. Now High Street, west of West St Helen Street has reverted back to two lanes.

There is a public meeting on the Abingdon Integrated Transport strategy (AbITs) on Wednesday 20th June. The meeting will be held in the Guildhall Abingdon at 7pm. Guest speaker is David Robertson, Oxfordshire County Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport.

Its better for ducks

There are some places more easily reached by ducks. But by leaning over the edge of Abingdon Bridge and holding the camera at arms length I can just about get this shot of the Stert Stream re-emerging after its underground journey.

There are some weather conditions that favour ducks. Today on the cricket field there were no cricketers and the campers were soon packing up to go. Not good for camping or cricket, but excellent for drakes and ducks.

Spirit of Adventure - Day 2

There were still MGs about, but no more red arrows.

The weather has been bad all day. The second day of the Spirit of Adventure airshow was called off because of the rain.

Today is also Pentecost Sunday. At Trinity Church, Ruth our minister said she was preparing her children's talk about Pentecost when overhead she heard a great roaring, and went outside to see coloured flares in the sky.

Most of the children in Abingdon were also outside at that moment looking up for the next sweep past of the Red Arrows. So Ruth used that joint moment of excitement in her children's talk about Pentecost... when there was a sound like a great roaring wind, and tongues of flame cames down from up above to settle on the disciples.

Spirit of Adventure - Day 1

Two old Abingdon friends were back in town today: the RAF and MG. The RAF AWACS spy plane cruises over these MG cars parked the other side of the river.

The MGs were there for the opening of a new MG exhibition at the museum. Extra gallery rooms have been opened on the top floor to house the MG exhibition.

Road signs were there to show visitors the way to the RAF Spirit of Adventure airshow at Dalton Barracks (once RAF Abingdon), but there was not that much extra traffic in town

Life went on in Abingdon with its usual mixture of misfortune and fortune. There was a fire in the Parasol Chinese Restaurant at the top of East St Helens Street.

The emergency services were still busy with the fire at the Parasol restaurant,

when the bells of St Nics rang out a wedding party.

The wedding didn't get their timing quite right though...

...If they'd waited around until 4 PM, they could have had the red arrows fly past.

40 days to go

The entrance display at the Guildhall says '40 day to go!' until there is a smokefree Guildhall. There will also be a smokefree England from July 1st, as far as pubs and clubs are concerned, so not just the Guildhall bar is affected.

It will be interesting to hear what our grandchildren have to say about this change, "You used to smoke cigarettes in the Guildhall? No! What did they say?"

We don't want no Ghost Town

Shop keepers and people fighting for the town centre won the first battle when the Vale of the White Horse district council (development control committee) turned down the Tesco expansion plans.

Tesco want to expand their store, which although big, is not big enough for Tesco's expanding business. They want to knock down the garden centre, and expand their general and non-food shopping space.

Tesco are considering an appeal.

Oxfordshire Artweeks

For three weeks in May and June there are over 400 venues in Oxfordshire open to the public where artists, and groups of artists, are showing their work as part of Oxfordshire Artweeks.

In St Helens Church, the 'Abingdon Artists' group had a display, including this sidelit picture of a Kingfisher at Thrupp Lake near Radley. This is well known lake that NPower are going to fill in with fly-ash if they have their way.

A little way away, the East St Helen Street Group had an exhibition at St Ethelwolds house.

Its not only an opportunity to look at local art, but also to look round some interesting houses...

and gardens....

I should also mention one venue in Oxford that stood out: 50 Aston Street. Its a house decorated with murals, many done in ultraviolet paint like a fairground fun-house.

One more week to go for the Abingdon and south Oxfordshire venues, but for most of the Oxford venues, including 50 Aston Street, you will have to wait until 2008.

Salvation Army anniversary

The Salvation Army had a special service this afternoon to celebrate 120 years in Abingdon. The service was at their current building in West St Helen Street, and the door remained open so that the band could be heard be passers by.

A time to break down and a time to build up

Where the Crossroads Renault garage once stood on the Drayton Road, the demolition experts are at work.

Where the Saxton Road community centre once stood, the builders are at work.

Monday Closing in France

For a change from toast and marmalade, I had croissants for breakfast...

purchased from Patisserie Pascal. Yesterday was the opening of this very French enterprise. Their closing day will be Monday as is the habit in France.

The owners used to have a similar business in Somertown, Oxford. They have now started again in Abingdon, at the top of East St Helen Street, in what was once Exclusive Hair Design.

Exclusive are not far away in West St Helen Street, next door to what will be the Co-op. (If rumour is correct, work is expected to start in June on the long awaited Co-op.)

On the other side of the Co-op, work has begun on what was Glendales. Frend the jeweller have already moved in. Frend and co Ltd are a well established Abingdon business. They moved from the precinct a week or so back.

The Graphology of Grafitti

A graphologist, or handwriting analyst, could read a great deal from this short message.

Choir Practise at St Helens

The steeple of St Helens viewed from beneath a large silver birch along West St Helens Street.

The same steeple viewed from the back window of the nearest parked car. The car probably belonged to one of the choristers.

The church door was open and listening to the evening hymn, I lifted the camera lens, beyond St Helens Court and the brewery buildings, towards the sky.

New Mayor Elected

The Abingdon flag has been flying over the county hall for the last couple of days instead of the union jack, possibly due to the Mayor Making this evening.


On the stage of the Abbey Hall, in front of an audience of town's people, Abingdon Town Council unanimously elected the new mayor by 20 votes to 0. The new mayor isn't the chap with the chain, but the lady with the bonnet. This picture was taken when the mayor-to-be was helping the town celebrate the 45oth anniversary of the royal charter.

Her name is Lorraine Oates. She is 60 - although I find that hard to believe. She is married to Tim, who flies helicopters for a living. (That is not Tim by the way.) Lorraine has been on the town council for four years, and has chaired the amenities committee (which looks after play areas, cemetaries, allotments etc).

Lorraine is often on hand to help at events, and as mayor will attend possible two to three hundred in the next year with the help of her deputy.

Dragon Boat 2007

Each crew has three qualifying races to try and get through to the final. So they embark near the finish.

Paddle up to the start point, and with drum beating, thunder down the river,

back to the finishing line.

The weather could have been better for the Rotary Club of Abingdon Vespers, who stage the event. It was either pouring down

or just drizzling.

But despite that, there were still a lot of people up for it, but maybe not as many as last year.

Look! No Pavements

2¾ miles from Abingdon town centre is the centre of the village of Marcham. Off one side of the main road you will find a sheep farm...

and a dairy farm...

and there is an old dove-cote squeezed in next to an electricity sub-station.

But, like Abingdon, Marcham suffers from traffic problems. Along the main street called 'Packhorse Lane' the road twists, and there are no pavements.

There has been a long campaign to build a bypass round Marcham, but there is no funding currently and so the campaign drags on. In fact, things might get worse for Marcham with the proposed reservoir. Thames Water are proposing building a service road from near Marcham to the reservoir (should the reservoir be given the go-ahead). That could then draw in more traffic.

Rose-tinted spectacles

Recently, one of the town council candidates wrote in an election bulletin that "Abingdon is a vibrant, bustling town." A letter to the Abingdon Herald said the candidate "must wear rose-tinted spectacles".

The candidate replied "As the laboratory manager for an independent local optician, I pride myself on my ability to tint quality prescription lenses. I don't wear rose-tinted sunglasses: for spring, I like light brown." He went on to say " Abingdon is no ghost town. It's alive and it has a healthy heart." Now somebody has left a comment " Healthy Heart maybe but all the arteries are blocked."

Anyway, now for an experiment, can I ask you to look at the picture above of a tree in St Helens Court, first without spectacles.

Now look at it with rose-tinted spectacles, and you will see a deep fissure up the side. The bark and trunk has split and the tree is dieing on this near side. I would argue that rose-tinted spectacles should not be so maligned.

The White Arrows

We do enjoy our white arrows here in Abingdon.

Centre Stage

Some shops fronts just want to get noticed. They want to be centre stage

or upstage the competition.

Others have a more subtle way about them,

and still got noticed.

The Abingdon Invitation Cribbage Cup.

During a lunchtime visit to the Vine Inn in Cumnor, my attention was taken by a large silver trophy that had pride of place on the mantle of what was once a large fireplace. The trophy is the Abingdon Invitation Cribbage Cup.

Cribbage is a pub game that ranks up there in popularity with darts and Aunt Sally. You will hear players saying things like '15 two and fours a pair' as they move pegs round a board.


There is a league of pubs and clubs from Abingdon and surrounding villages that compete for this trophy. Previous winners (before the Vine) include The Prince of Wales at Shippon, and the Saxton Arms in Abingdon.

Skatepark progress

Next to the Vale of the White Horse Leisure Centre, along Audlett Drive, work has begun on the long awaited skatepark.

It is late coming as building costs were more expensive than the budget. The ground being used is an old tip and special foundations needed adding. But additonal funding has been found, including £5,000 from the town council, and work has begun.

The signs say it will be ready in time for July (the summer school holidays).

This all came about because of a petition from young skaters a couple of years ago.

Lib-Dem Success

The Abingdon district councillors for the next four years are all Liberal Democrats (Lib-Dems).

Abingdon has bucked the trend towards voting Conservative. Why? I haven't got a clue.

Also in terms of proportional representation, the Conservatives had 40% of the vote but that translated into no councillors with our first past the post system.

Polling

Pollings stations were open in Abingdon from 7 AM

until 10 PM. Counting does not happen until tomorrow.

So before that result, let me show you another result. This swan, approaching the iron-bridge, has had her babies.

ADDTS

In the library the Abingdon and District Twin towns Society have a display about the twins towns.

Abingdon is twinned with Lucca in Italy, Argentan in France, Schongau in Germany, and Sint Niklaas in Belgium. The Vale of the White Horse District is also twinned with Sint Niklaas, and with Colmar in France.

Both Abingdon and Lucca have local elections in May 2007.