Flood Fair Announced

1. This development at the Old Crossroads garage got flooded in July. The developers need to reconsider flood alleviation measures before going ahead.

2. Next door in Ladygrove Paddock work is finally underway to restore the flooded sheltered housing.

There will be a flood fair at the Guildhall in Abingdon on 7 February between 2.30 and 8pm. The Vale web site has more information.

Abingdon should be top

Opposite the Baptist Church on Ock Street there is a tyre and exhaust specialist.

They know their alloy wheels, tyres and exhausts.

On their Corporate Website...

I would not expect to see Abingdon quite so low down the order. To my mind they should be ahead of those top ranking Surrey towns.

Co-op Building - January Progress

There was a large delivery of scaffolding poles soon after this picture was taken.


Two days later. Onward and Upward!

Ock Street Remembered

In 2006 crowds went to the Conduit Centre to see a weekend exhibition called The Ock Street Exhibition. Before the 1930s slum clearances about two thirds of Abingdon lived around Ock Street.

The 2006 exhibition comprised pictures and snippets of text on display boards.

It is back - creatively redone - using the County Hall Museum display cases.

The Christmas stage has been retained and converted into the interior of an Ock Street Kitchen.

One lady recalls ""Our cottage had two rooms, one up and one down, the only door opened into the downstairs room and the stairs went out of that room into the bedroom. There was a pocket-handkerchief sized garden, and across the other side of that was a wash house."

This display shows Stimpson the Grocer, located where Dominoes Pizza now does business.

There were artifacts such as this penny farthing made by Coxeters - still a shop name in Abingdon.

On Saturday there was a gathering of the clans when people who had helped create this exhibition came to share their memories. One lady said that this was the first time in all these years she had been up to the museum.

The exhibition is on until Wednesday 27 February 2008.

Ock Street Remembered - NEW BOOK AVAILABLE SOON - An Abingdon Community

Swingtime

This building was once a pub but is now the Royal British Legion Club and HQ.

In the function room beside the bar, George Haslam was tonight conducting his Abingdon Big Band - 'Swingtime'.

The British Legion Club and HQ is about to be 'refurbished'

and ,by about Easter, will be ready again

should George return blowing his whistle on 'track twenty-nine' on the Chattanooga choo choo.

Albert and Walter

Albert and Walter (two six-year old horses) were in town giving rides along Abbey Close to wedding guests at the Guildhall.

Save Radley Lakes tombola was also in town.

The old town calling

Last week brought floods, explosions, fire, and traffic jams.

Some old Abingdonians were disturbed and sat upright thinking they heard the old town calling them to duty. But it was too strange. The long line of traffic meant nothing to them.


Gordon Roger's last front page as the Abingdon reporter was about the Almshouses needing £1m. Reroofing +. Gordon may have been the last journalist dedicated to reporting exclusively on Abingdon. He talked to people: getting to know what was going on. He became part of the order of the town.


The graves have been settled down again, and secured, and await reconsecration. But it was like a warning things are getting out of order.

Moving out of retail

Next door to Busy Bee are two shops that have been empty for a considerable while. They were both charity shops. The far one was the Red Cross Shop. The near one was the Animal Sanctuary and the Co-op funeral service. Both have a sign TO LET. Both have 'Under Offer'.

One of them is looking to change from retail to financial and professional services (banks, lawyers, betting offices, estate agents, media etc) and seeks planning permission.

Another retail area looking for a change is the upstairs floors of what was Dawsons. They are seeking permission to change from retail to residential.

not so Busy Bee

After about thirty years of trading the Busy Bee is to close at the end of the month. Sad but true.

The traffic up West St Helen Street is partly to blame. People are less inclined to stop their car to pick up a paper and loose their place in the angry traffic queue.

Another Chance Gone

The legal papers have all been signed. The Old Gaol's big secret is out. The details of the chosen developer, and three other contenders are on the Vale Web Site. 18 comments were added within the hour on the Abingdon Herald web site - a record. Most said 'Not more housing.'

The winning developer is Abingdon based Cranbourne Homes. You may have already seen their signs at the ex Ambulance Station and the ex Crossroads Garage. They have now added to their portfolio the ex Police Station and Old Gaol. Their offices are to be found in the courtyard behind the Brewery Tap in Ock Street.

Cranbourne Homes also own, and will be developing the adjoining Twickenham House at the same time as the Old Gaol complex to provide 61 homes in total. There will also be 14 units of affordable housing at Harcourt Way. A certain percent needs to be affordable in any development, and it appears that the rules allow them to be split across two locations.

Homes are the main business of Cranbourne Homes. But at the old Gaol there will also be:

• Five to six restaurants and shops
  
• Relocation of the Abingdon Bridge youth drop in centre to part of the Old Police Station on site
  
• Access to the riverside garden through the ground floor of the Old Gaol, and side access from East St Helen Street.
  
  

So it could have been worse. It could have been all hotel and housing with a small area for local people to show their handicraft. It looks like the best one of the four schemes was chosen. But read the Wikipedia entry about Abingdon "For a town of its size, Abingdon is somewhat bereft of leisure facilities. The Regal Cinema closed in the 1980...etc etc..."

This is another chance gone.

More flood pictures

A few more flood pictures while it lasts:

From the submerged towpath looking towards Abingdon Bridge.

From about the same place looking towards the cricket / croquet pitch beyond the trees.

The blue childrens water feature shows above the water in the Abbey Meadows.

Looking from Abingdon Lock along the handrail of the submerged landing stage.

Branching from the Thames, the nearest of the two channels that rush away down swift ditch. A weir is down there somewhere.

Across river, and further upstream, a one-time lake, complete with rescue ring. The lake was filled with fly ash piped from a nearby power station about four years ago.

Nearby fields show how the land would lie without such industrial intervention.

Kingfisher Canoe Club Move

Next to Abingdon rowing club, the old Kingfisher Canoe Club hut is being demolished. The rowing club has planning permission to expand, so they can hold more boats ,and will need the land taken by the old hut.

The canoes can be seen some way behind the fire of the old hut.

The new hut is nearby and all ready.

The Bishop of Oxford

The Bishop of Oxford was at St Helens for a United Service of the churches in Abingdon.

Bishop John has been in the job about six months.


People stayed on afterwards for tea, coffee and biscuits.

Near the end of the service people remembered Rev John Stanbury from All Saints Church, Abingdon, who passed away today after a long illness.

Gas explosions and Thames high water

Unusually for a Saturday the traffic was bad in town. It built up soon after midday when emergency vehicle sirens could be heard and some thuds that turned out to be explosions.

The Abingdon Herald reports that two gas canisters at a unit off Blacklands Way exploded.

Colwell Drive and the Fairacres trading estate were closed and people evacuated ( it must have been an unusual first day for the new Pets at Home store with their 10% opening offers).


Twelve fire engines were at the scene. The BBC says the unit belongs to Compact GTL, a new UK company that turns gas to liquids.


Elsewhere, the new path to the lock, repaired since July, was taking a bit of a battering from all the water.

The water level near Abingdon Lock was at 11 feet - a little way below the Jan 2003 high water mark.

Sandbags out again

There were worries yesterday about whether parts of South Abingdon would flood again because of the River Ock (I note on the Environment Agency web site the River Ock is still only at 'flood watch' not 'flood warning'. )

These pictures are from this morning at about 8.

Sandbags have been put out again. Supplies are available from near Homebase on the Fairacres estate. This is St Helen's Mill where the water was rushing against the sides of the building last summer. It has breached the bank a little this time despite the bags.

For advice about using sandbags watch this video.

The River Thames is high but it affects far fewer properties in Abingdon than the River Ock. The wide flood plain the other side ensures for each inch it creeps up this side, it has to go some way the other side.

Upper and Lower Stream

The River Ock divides into an upper and lower stream near Tesco.

In some places, the river has broken its banks. The houses in the background are in the Ladygrove Estate which were flooded last July.

Upper and lower streams run close together on the Ock Valley Walk into town, and the difference in level is normally far greater.

In places the walk goes underwater.

They streams come together just before joing the Thames.

The Ock has been on Flood Watch since January 11th.

(Update: it got worse than these pictures overnight into Thursday but no sign of anybody being flooded, although it looks a close run thing in places.)

On the Run

Last April there was just the shell of the old petrol station and a hole in the ground, and now there is 'On the Run'.

Over the last four or so years, Esso has converted many petrol stations to be 'On the Run'.
On a wet night, like tonight , people can find here a cafe area and a convenience store. Its just off the A34 Marcham interchange, near Tesco.

The petrol price is typical for the area - unfortunately. Prices have not been so high before.

Pause for thought

This picnic bench has been near the Thames in Barton Meadows through many winters. It has always appeared robust but is definitely showing its age.

These trees fell into the lower Ock during the July floods last year. The high water will soften their remaining hold on earth.

Over the Marina houses, gulls trail across, and then gather. A few scatter and scout close to ground in search of food, before moving on, back to the rubbish-filled gravel pits south of Abingdon.

The flooded fields and high rivers are not unusual for this time of year. But last summer we saw the water going up to the next level. It gives 'pause for thought'.

Radley Gravel

A book called 'The History of Radley', produced by the Radley History Club in 2002, says "as early as the 19th century the rich seam of gravel in the area started to be excavated.... small gravel pits were dug in several places... It wasn't until the 1940s that gravel extraction by Messrs. Amey, Tuckwell, and Curtis began on a more commercial basis., and a large section of lower Radley was given over to this end..."

".. some of these gravel pits have been filled in over the last fifteen year with fly ash pumped underground from Didcot Power Station... Meanwhile the filling of other pits continues..." This was written before permission was sought to fill in the more established Thrupp Lake (above), and the ensuing Battle for Radley Lakes.

H Tuckwell and sons Ltd have been at Radley since 1947. They continue to work the area, and are currently seeking planning permission for a five year extension to continue working the gravel and other aggregates within their current bounds.

In another five years they will know whether they can extend their works at Radley. That will depend on where Oxfordshire County Council allow quarrying in future - something under review. Important factors in any review should be the effect on the flood plain, and how well other land in the area has been restored, and the views of the local community.

Jubilee Junction - towpath closed

o You are here (on the map) at
Jubilee Junction
Abingdon

Jubilee Junction is the recently re-created junction between the Wilts and Berks Canal, and the Thames.

Currently the towpath is closed. The Environment Agency have concerns about the effect of the bank on flood flows, and have directed the canal trust to lower parts of the banks to 500mm above normal Thames Water Level.

Work is underway. Stones from the path has been packed away while the level is reduced.

Friday Night Finger Buffet

There were two events in town tonight - for anybody braving the rain.

Boris Johnson was in the Guildhall as part of an All Conservative Any Questions panel. Tickets were only £10.00

- including finger buffet.

And there was a pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, at the Unicorn Theatre. It will be for a few days more. £6.00 adults £4.00 children.

"Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum!
I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Be he 'live, or be he dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread."

(Picture of Boris Johnson from Blue Boris vs Red Ken)

School Visit

This School in Abingdon has grounds cut across by Larkhill Stream. The stream falls into the River Ock near Ock Mill Close.

The land for the school was bought by Abingdon Borough Council in the 1930s, and developed after the war. Some digging for victory took place here during the war - to feed the hungry of Abingdon.

Over 80% of pupils now either walk or cycle to school - well above the national average.

The tables and seats in the play ground are made from recycled plastic bags.

The school has a new art studio.

Back in September the Oxford Mail reported how the school intends to sell some land, once belonging to the Pavlova leather works. The money raised could be used to develop sports facilities for the use of the school and local community.

The land is walled, and to be found on a gravel rise above the rest of the school grounds. It is not easy to access from the school, and is on a level with the cemetery next door,

and is accessed through the Pavlova housing estate.

Broad Street almost complete

Work on Broad Street looks almost complete.

Barriers protect the soon-to-be-with-us replacement tree. There used to be a tree with a hedge on a raised traffic island.

Park Parking clamp down

Wheel clamping could be on the way for the Albert Park private roads. Erection of Parking Signs at various locations on lamp posts, and posts, in Park Crescent and Park Road is to be considered.

So you can imagine the scenario. People go along to a wedding or funeral at Trinity Church, or St Michael's Church. They return to find they've been clamped.

I only hope they get the right people this time: the ones who have churned up the grass verges and blocked peoples drives and don't give a damn, and not the mourning relative who could not find the church in time.

Abingdon Arts 2008

Abingdon Arts Festival 2008 begins on March 1st. One highlight of the festival will be Roger McGough performing his poetry at the Amey Theatre. There is also a photography competition - details are on the Arts Festival website. Entries can be about anything - but just three entries per person ...

one

two

three...

That's my lot. I hope others will come up with something better.

Stubborn Call Boxes

During the Market Place refurbishment, everything else changed, but these call boxes stayed the same and did not move.

Getting rid of your Christmas Tree

Remove the ornaments and lights and take the tree from its stand. Wrap it in an old carpet and put it in the back of the car. Take it to Millets Farm, and throw it on top of the pile (shown above) by today (Jan 7th).

Alternatively, if you have one of the Vale's brown bins for garden waste, chop up the tree, if possible, and put it inside the bin for the next collection - or alongside.

School Land For Sale

The entrance to this piece of land is via the Anna Pavlova estate.

This gate provies the only way in for vehicles. The new cemetary is on the right.

It is a raised walled area of land, at the same level as the cemetary.

But from the school it is not visible, and is either accessible up these steps.

Or up some other steps the other side of this wall. There is then a jump down from this wall. All four town councillors who made the visit managed this jump, but the headmaster remarked it was an accessibility issue.

This shows the raised field behind the goal post. P.E staff supervising the rest of the field cannot see the raised area.

The money raised would be used to create usable sports facilities, such as bringing these tennis courts up to scratch. Currently the surface is dangerous, as is the fence. They are used for car parking.

Par Cark Review

There used to be a barrier at the exit from the Charter car park and people paid on exiting. That was back in the days when our children called it a Par Cark.

Now parking is pay and display.

Less people appear to be using the car park, and that means less people are using the town.

And so a review is being carried out by the Vale of White Horse District Council. Richard Farrell leads the review. (He is seen here talking to Lesley Legge - the leader of the town council).

Questions the review should hopefully be considering:

• parking charges
• level of fines
• should it be pay and display
• who parks where (currently shoppers park on the higer levels during the week because permit holders, including his own staff, use the lowers levels.)
  

The one remaining butcher

The trend to supermarket shopping has reduced the number of butchers shops in the town centre to one. A casual visitor might not realise that one existed.

But a few chalked 'A' boards tell of the presence of a shop along one of the little frequented paths in the town centre - Queen Street.

Hedges have a grand shop window display in the Oxford Covered Market , but Hedges in Abingdon are a lot less showey.

The main business of the Abingdon branch appears to be delivering to pubs and restaurants and hotels and homes.

A tree hole

This tree shows signs of trauma.

It is to be found beneath a Motte - the remains of a medieaval Motte and Bailey, on the Fitzharry's estate. Its an interesting wooded area in the middle of an Abingdon housing estate. Children ride bikes up the Motte.

The hole goes right through to high up on the other side of the tree so you can look through. Such holes build up over time whether through water, disease, or infestation.

Pothole Tourist

I went to investigate a report from the Tithe Farm and Ladygrove Newsletter - December 2007. It read "... there are an alarming number of potholes and cracks in the road surfaces. The ones in Mill Road have now white lines marked around them. This may mean

a) They are about to be repaired
b) Once the council has marked them, they are no longer liable if someone has an accident
c) They have been designated a tourist attraction..."

When I got to Mill Road the tourist attraction had been removed. But as you can see from the first picture there are still ones to be seen in Exbourne Road.

Boundary Walk - New Year's Day 2008

Councillor Martin Smith conducted the Walk round the 1556 Abingdon boundaries, aided and abetted by the town crier and other aides.

It started sensibly enough at the Market Place.

Then went along by the Ock Valley walk. Modern day bicycles were left padlocked behind at this point.

Martin Smith read out the route from the 1556 charter:

"...where the said little stream of the Ock falls unto the Thames as aforesaid, and from thence by and through the aforesaid little Stream of the Ock including the same little stream unto the aforesaid Bridge of the Ock called the Ock Bridge, and...."

During this ancient walk, we did loose our 21st century road sense at times.

"... and from thence by and through another publick way a little turning towards the North untill you come to a certain Crooked little Ditch inclining towards the East, which said little Ditch together with the aforesaid publick way..."

The walk ended over the weir beside the lock keepers cottage.

"...the Borough shall extend and stretch itselfe from the Locks aforesaid, called the Abbey Locks, through the whole River Thames, including the same River unto the Bridge called the New Bridge built upon and over the said River of Thames.... and from thence by and through..."

Baby Swings

This is one of the - old style - baby swings as found in the play park at Ladygrove Meadow.

This is one of the - next level - baby swings as found at Caldecott Rec.

1. It has a system to stop vandals wrapping it over the top
2. The chains are shorter
3. The seat is deeper

I remember learning to swing. I reckon it would be more difficult to learn with the new style swing. So is that progress?