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.