Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from Birthdays in the precinct.


Some claim this Abingdon

is turning into

a ghost town.

The Odd One Out

So which out of these is the odd one out?

a) The Geese

b) The Ducks

c) The Swan

d) The shopping Trolley

The majority of trolleys stay well within the Tesco carpark. Just the odd one gets out, and it usually ends tragically.

Extra Sports Facilities

Work continues on the new sports facilities for Abingdon School.

An eight lane swimming pool with curving roof, a climbing wall, squash courts, and more classrooms are a part of the project which is likely to be completed during 2008.

Not sure if that tree will have to go or stay.

Banksy in Abingdon?

Abingdon Artists have just had an exhibition in St Nic's church. But not all Abingdon artists belong to that group.

It was reported a couple of days ago that 11 pieces of grafitti by Banksy from Bristol sold for half a million. So could any of our local graffiti be by Banksy?

The turntable outside the Kings Head and Bell? 'Not sure...'

This bus queue along Winsmore Lane 'Mmm Possibly!'

Toon Army in town

Anybody in town this morning couldn't have helped noticing the singing, and the chanting, and the spectacle of young men trying to throw each other into a skip outside the museum.

This group of Newcastle United supporters are on their way back to their coach.

"Who you playing?" I asked.

"Wor on wor way te Reading." one said, or something like that.

There will be an alcohol ban at the visitors end during the match, and so they fans were getting tooned up in Abingdon before the game.

Abingdon Lions

Abingdon Lions were out in the Market Place today. Sometimes they raise money to help a local person who has a special need, and sometimes they have a big campaign. They are currently raising money for defibrillators for ambulances.

To Bridge Or Not To Bridge that is the question

This is the first example of a path ending abruptly at a river bank, just waiting for a footbridge to be built ... (at the Riverside development on the Mill Stream).

This is the second example of a path ending abruptly at a river bank, still waiting for a footbridge to be built... (at the Brewery development on the River Ock).

Builders need to add a certain amount of green space within a development, or in lieu of that provide access to green space some other way, like with a bridge.

The Riverside footbridge is currently awaiting a decision by the Vale. It will be paid for by the developer, and will not bump up our council tax. However, for one reason or another, footbridges do not always get built. It provides access for residents to the countryside, but on the otherhand it also acts as a shortcut for wanderers.

Abingdon Abbey Robbed

Not that Abbey!

Half Term

Its half-term this week, and at the start of the week I saw this expedition setting off down the river. They were going to camp overnight after about 20 KM.

I also watched this Oxford College crew picking their way carefully along Abingdon Lock. It was an education to me. Aftr that a single rowing boat went up the lock on its own.

First Frost

First noticeable frost on the windscreen yesterday morning. A soft blanket of leaves lies beneath this Ash in the Abbey Meadow.

Here too, on the river walk across from St Helen's Wharf, the leaves lay like a blanket, but these leaves are a lot more crunchy, so I'm not sure I can call it a blanket.

From Minor Road Changes to Major Emotions

The speed limit on the B4017 between Drayton and Abingdon will be set at 50 MPH. You really have to put your foot down anyway to get up to 60 MPH on this short winding stretch. I remember the motor cyclist who was killed on this stretch about four years ago. I cycled past the slowly fading flowers left as a road side memorial for many days. I remember his first name, and people complaining that something had to be done about that stretch of road.

The parking spaces opposite the Co-op development are to be lost to the builders for the next 45 weeks. I don't really begrudge them the space. We do after all want the store. But it will make it even more like a game of musical chairs for us residents trying to get a parking place. Grrr!

From the rough to the smooth

After last weeks heavy rain, the River Thames has been riding high from since before the weekend. At the Weir it looks dramatic.

Not many calm patches for the fishermen up that way.

At Abingdon Bridge the water swirls.

Only downstream could a fishing competition be managed. The green buoy lets the boats know they should keep away from the shallow water toward the far bank - opposite Wilsham Road.

The Abingdon Crafts Festival

The festival makes use of all the Old Abbey Buildings. The Unicorn Theatre is pictured here. It runs from 19th - 22nd October, and then continues with a change of exhibitors from 25th-28th October.

This stall, called Highland Games - is one of about 50 listed on the official website.

On Friday and Saturday this week, but not today, there was an Abingdon Fairtrade exhibiton and sale at St Nicolas Church. They took advantage of the increased footfall created by the Craft Festival.

Wake Up Call for Old Gaol

The Old Gaol had a wake up call at 11 on the Market Place. People brought alarm clocks, whistles, and saucepan lids.

This is the Old Gaol, this morning. A decision is soon to be made about its redevelopment, and the protesters want to see community use.

Dr Evan Harris the local MP is seen here, alongside some of the Cog campaigners. They did the speeches...

And then everybody else made a loud noise. St Nics church bells even starting ringing.

The whole event was rounded off by a more soothing performance by Jazz Cafe. If you are not watching the Rugby tonight then Jazz Cafe are performing at St Helen Church at 7:30 tonight.

By the way Abingdon Rugby Club have a new website. From the website it looks like the Rugby Club is the best place to watch the final between England and South Africa this evening.

Glass and Steel

The glass and steel entrance and side of Waitrose allows you to look into the bright shop from outside.

The glass atrium at the top of Station House allows people living there to have a lounge with sunlight sunset and stars.

Yesterday evening there was a public meeting to discuss what should be done with the County Hall. Architectural drawing, were shown ,demonstrating how the undercroft could be glazed with large non reflective glass panels - inside the arches. A glass and steel lift could extend up to the upper storey and down to the basement.

There were differences of opinion, and a good discussion. The County Hall is one of 400 Grade I listed buildings that English Heritage has a duty of care to protect. Three representatives from English Heritage were there to listen to the debate. Their starting point is that they would not mind a lift going from the basement to the sessions hall (half-way up) but they would prefer it to tone in with the stone. They were not too keen on glazing in of the under croft, but were there to listen.

Some local people sided with the English Heritage view for aesthetic reasons. Others wanted better access-for-all to both a permanent Abingdon exhibition on the top floor and a changing exhibition in the sessions hall.

Opinion was also divided on glazing in, as it has been since the idea was first suggested in Victorian times, but, with advances in glass technology, some people had moved towards the idea of the undercroft being glazed in. The positive view was it could act as a show case for Abingdon and the museum. Those against were worried about spoiling the open nature, and character of the covered area, and whether the glass could withstand vandalism.

Lottery funs are soon predicted to dry up for heritage projects as the olympics takes more and more of the cash. So it is now, or .... wait ten years. A decision cannot wait ... Success depend on lottery funds. and getting them depends on local people and English Heritage being behind the project.

Another Marketing Suite bites the dust

This is what the Barratts marketing suite looked like a few weeks ago...

Look at it now.

Tree Work at Albert Park

The dogs can sense that something is wrong. They don't need to be bloodhounds.

Not one, but two trees are down at Albert Park.

Just the trunk remains, and a pile of sawdust at the base. No other debry. Everything else has been cleared away, apart from a few leaves.

This is no accident.

Farmers Market

I prefer the Farmers Market in Old Station Yard. It seems more cosy than when it used to be split: half under the Abbey Gateway, and half under the museum.

The Monday Market had a second week off - because of the Runaway Fair, and so this week the Farmers Market had the town more to it self.

Blog Action Day - Radley Lakes

Today is Blog Action Day on the environment so this in my post on that theme.

Pictures are from the cycle path bordering the Lake that RWE NPower want to fill with ash waste from the local power station. Many trees have been cut. Fences erected. Drainage pipes put in place.

A strange black skirt has been added.

RWE NPower are just waiting to get the final go ahead, and the
Save Radley Lakes campaign are still trying by all legitimate means to stop them. But it has just been announced that their attempt to get it designated a town green has been rejected.

So will this be the last autumn to enjoy these scenes?

Runaway Fair

The fair rides are back again, but this time the little childrens rides go centre stage.

The runaway fair takes place a week after the Michaelmas Fair.

Rather than shutting all of High Street, and Ock Street, only High Street is shut. But it can be a squeeze for the buses to go round via West St Helen Street.

Time is running Out

In town this morning various community groups were looking for people's support. For two of the groups, time is running out:

Time is running out for the Old Gaol. This leaflet asks people to bring an alarm clock, or whistle, for the 'Wake Up Call for the Old Gaol.' The Wake up Call is at 11 AM - next - Saturday 20th October on the Market Place - for ten minutes. The executive of the Vale District Council have asked short listed developers to submit their bids and plans to the Vale Council by 22nd October.

Save Radley Lakes had a tombola and a card sale. The decision over whether Radley Lakes can be designated a 'Village Green', and saved from imminent destruction, is likely to be communicated next week. For them too, time is running out.

Excess Charge Notice (s)

This car in the nearby carpark has what looks to me like a record number of parking tickets. It has not moved for over a week, and has been getting a ticket every day. The car also has a notice saying 'For Sale £1350' and another saying 'Broken Down.' So on the face of it, it has not got a lot going for it.

Oxfordshire Traffic Survey

These men were doing a traffic survey at the Radley Road roundabout. Its part of the Oxfordshire Traffic Survey.

Other surveyers have been going round to randomly selected houses, asking people to fill in a 24 travel form including all their journeys - however small with lots of details: the how, why, when.

"...The information will be used in developing a Transport Model which will be used to plan and hopefully improve future transport requirements in the area..."

I see the road planners are now using words like 'hopefully'. We have learned in Abingdon that transport modelling is an inexact science.

Work begins on Co-op Store

During the day new signs have appeared on the Co-op site. The fence has moved out so you can't walk on that pavement anymore, and a cabin has arrived on site. These are the first signs that work has begun on the replacement Co-op store.

Michaelmas Fair - Tuesday

There is a 'Street Fair' poster in Dawsons - the recently closed down music shop. Reflected behind can be seen a Helter Skelter next to 'Just Toys' - also closed down. 'Just Toys' are to have their Clearance Sale later this week. So they'll just re-open for that.

There was more of a Police presence this year at the fair than usual. I didn't see any trouble over the two days, but the Herald did report a stabbing.

There were bigger crowds yesterday (Monday) when weather was expected to be good. Today, as it happens, the weather was also good, after some morning rain.


But you just have to make your choice. Come along on the less busy Tuesday: risk rain but maybe get longer rides... Its a case of swings and roundabouts.

Michaelmas Fair - Monday

Weather was good for the first of the two days of the Fair. Here is the scene early in the evening one side of the County Hall.

Then returning much later.

Galloping Horses

Here you can see the horses, stacked like sardines, about to be unloaded in the Market Place.

Their caroussel is located in its usual place over by M & CO, La Baguette and Stroll-in.

At 8 PM on the Sunday evening of the Fair a church service is held at the Galloping Horses.

On good years, people get a free ride afterwards. This year was a very good year because there were two chances to ride.

Abingdon Shopping Guide

The scouts, and their helpers, are delivering the new Abingdon shopping guide called 'Choose Abingdon' this weekend. It has a colour coded map of town centre shops and businesses.

Not only that, but the scouts were also delivering the Abingdon Town Crier.

(The Town Crier has architects pictures of the County Hall with a glazed in undercroft, and with an external lift. There will be a public meeting on Thursday 18th October at 7:30 PM for the public to find out about these plans.)

Idiots Guide

Daily Mail reporters ought to read this before writing future stories about Abingdon. For the rest of us it is just a reference.

Daily Mail Apathetic Reporting

The Daily Mail has accused Abingdon of being apathetic about its soldiers homecoming.

Yesterday, troops back from their tour of duty in Afghanistan marched to a church service in St Helen’s church at 11 a.m.

I have had to borrow the picture from the Daily Mail web site as I was at work.

They needed something to illustrate what some high up military was saying about the apathy of the general population towards the army serving abroad. These pictures fitted the journalistic brief but they do not fit my knowledge of Abingdon.

Street Fair

Every year we get a similar letter:

Dear Sir/Madam

ABINGDON MICHAELMAS STREET FAIR 2007.

You may be aware that this year's Michaelmas Street Fair will run on 8 and 9 October....

The congestion...may increase slightly the time it takes to respond to your property in the event of a fire... extra vigilent...

...We are aware that the Fair does cause inconvenience to residents. We thankyou in anticipation of you co-operation.

The rides have started arriving. here is one pictured near the Drayton Road Bridge, with the caravans and trailers of fairground people behind.

Come up for air

Abingdon has green river valleys stretching to the town centre.

cleaner red buses with the slogan 'come up for air'

The Abits (Abingdon Integrated Transport Strategy) plan involved holding traffic outside the town centre, and letting it through in a controlled way so that exhaust fumes did not forever pollute the town centre streets. Here at lunchtime, traffic is moving through fairly well, in batches. But later on, at going home time, there was one continuous line of idling traffic along High Street. West St Helen Street was even worse with stationary traffic right back to the church until 7:30 PM.

So come up here for the air, but you'll have to judge whether its safe to inhale..

Better Ways to School

Caldecott Chase borders Caldecott School, and there looks as though there is a new way through the new development to the school.

On the other side of Caldecott School, another back entrance has been laid from Drayton Road. For a long time this has been an overgrown gap between houses.

These back routes to Caldecott School resulted from the Better Ways to School project. The school put together a travel plan about five years ago, to encourage children to walk or cycle, and this is part of the result. Another earlier result was the wooden fences on the grass verge in front of the school. They were put there because cars often drove over the verge, potentially, into the path of school children.

(Cyclists seen at the Abbey Gateway on Sunday have nothing to do with Caldecott but they are nice and colourful.)

Simply Messing about in Boats

Watching some people it seems like there aint nothing '- half as much worth doing as simply messing about in boats' .

This boat called Four Paws heads upstream to Abingdon Lock.

These two people - not youngsters - can be seen messing around near the weir pools.

This Westie knows everything going on round his little riverbank territory.

Caldecott Road - Wet Tar

A week ago and the pavement outside the new flats on Caldecott Road was impassible.

There is new tar on both sides of Caldecott road from the Drayton Road to Blacknall Road.