Hathaways Closing

In the centre of this typical Hathaways window display there is a yellow notice:

"Hathaways" formerly owned and run by Mr A. C. Rogers (known to us all as Con.) will cease trading at the end of business on

Saturday 1st September 2007.

His children have taken the decision with considerable regret and they would like to thank the staff for managing the shop since their father's death in December 2006.

They would also like to thank all the customers past and present for their valued custom.

The closure is rumoured to be because of inheritance tax.

Send Out The Dove

The dove (or perhaps it is a pigeon) has returned from flying over Abingdon surveying the water level.

The level of the River Thames has gone down several steps from last week's high.

The River Ock now flows at a much lower level beneath the Drayton Road.

BUT the Ock Valley Walk has been eroded and patched up, trees have fallen and caused mud slides into the river, a lot of the work the Green Gym did wood chipping a second path is washed away...

And people are still in temporary accommodation. The elderly people who live in these homes are likely to have quite a long wait until they return home.

No olive branch quite yet.

Crystals

Before going away last Friday, we were several tent pegs short, and I went to our local outdoor shop to try to find some. Unfortunately they had just sold their last two lots.

On the way back home I passed Crystals, the shop in Lombard Street.

Steve, the manager, came out of the shop and said, "Do you still need the tent pegs?"

"What???" I couldn't remember telling him we needed tent pegs.

Anyway, Steve left to find some tent pegs from his flat nearby.

There was a simple explanation: my wife had told Steve we needed tent pegs.

(Moral of the story: It can seem like magic when somebody unexpectedly helps you.)

After the Flood

The Market Place has been fenced off since February for a redesign. Today, for the first time, the fences were taken down.

People were sitting on the new seats, where the trees will be. Workmen were taking away the fences.

A stone commemorating the Royal Charter is now to be seen at the centre of the paths.

The Monday Market has been held in the Civic Carpark, but at long last it will return to its rightful place this coming Monday.

The only thing remaining is to plant some trees, and plant some flowers, and send out a dove to see whether the floods have completely gone yet.

Skatepark

The new skatepark has been built in time for the summer holidays. At long last the BMXers, and skaters, can do stunts at places other than the disability ramps and stairwells and boundary walls of Abingdon's public buildings.

The Skatepark, made from reinforced concrete, can be found next to the Vale leisure centre off Audlett Drive. The Sophos office can be seen in the background.

Clog Dancers

Coming home tonight, after three muddy days at a festival of World Music , I was suprised to find 'world music' happening in the courtyard of the Kings Head and Bell in Abingdon.

There were a group of north country clog dancers called 'The Old Speckled Hen North West Morris Dancers'. There were also a group of belly dancers in the pub courtyard.

The clog dancers hadn't come down from Lancashire, nor were the belly dancers Turkish.

The clog dancers said they practice at the Milton Heights Community Centre from September to April at 8 pm, and would welcome new members. The belly dancers meet at the Abingdon Dance Studio off Swinburne Road.