Linked Signals

"These traffic signals are part of a network of linked signals to manage traffic within Abingdon Town Centre". However, they are not linked close enough.

There are notices to say the lights need to move in closer to the rest of the system to improve the link. The four car parking spaces outside the Crown and Thistle to the right must go as a result.

Also a reply to an earlier comment about Bridge Street traffic. Tipsy almost got knocked over at the top of Bridge Street because Stert Street traffic can go in either direction and cars don't indicate. Councillor Ian Hudspeth's reply can be seen at this link .

The earthquake didn't wake me

The 1 A.M earthquake didn't wake me. I only read about it on another local blog. I cannot really say that it caused this shelter on the cricket field to give way. It was probably like that anyway.

And looking round about, nothing else looked out of place. But then we were some way from the epicentre.

Co-op - February Progress

The pictures below the dividing line show what the Co-op will look like when finished

and above the line is what the Co-op looks like now.

And the bottom line is that any shop needs to make money.

Abingdon Sword Bridge

The bridge, that will be decorated with motifs from the Abingdon Sword,

has gone forward in leaps and bounds in the last week.

Estate Agent Changes on High Street

Andrews have a 'For Sale' sign outside - probably only for the flat above though.

A couple of doors away Adkins have been rebranded as Bucknell & Ballard.

The Great Abingdon Pavement Dig

In Broad Street the pavements are being dug up as part of the repaving program.

and in High Street (and Abbey Close) the pavements are being dug up by Southern Electric.

Mayor's Charity Ball

The Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers were dancing in the foyer as the guests arrived.

The mayor and her escourt sat at the top table...

Next to them were guest speaker Polly Vacher, and the chair of the Vale District Council. Polly told us of her recent Wings around Britain flight, where she flew between and landed at 221 different airfields in Britain - all in aid of Flying Scholarships for the disabled.

More than a few guests had civic chains. There were mayors from a lot of the surrounding towns.

There was a guess the name of the bear, a charity auction, and a raffle to raise funds for Phab and Age Concern.

and dancing to the sound of the Oxford University Big Band.

Town litter ban

A ban on dropping litter has been introduced in Abingdon with the slogan "Littering? It'll cost you"

Unlike the proposed alcohol ban, this ban will extend beyond Abingdon. Trashy posters are to be displayed across the Vale of White Horse District.

To The River

Signs pointing in all directions.

The River Thames runs along the length of Abingdon

and the River Ock goes through the heart of Abingdon.

There is a sign to the Ock Valley Walk, and another to Abingdon Marina:

but no sign says just 'To the River.'

Winding back the Clock at the Square

The war memorial in Abingdon, Oxfordshire has had a slight lean for a number of years, and is being monitored to see whether it has stopped moving or whether the time has come to underpin it.

Wind back the clock to the 11th Sept 1921, and this scrapbook picture shows the Earl of Abingdon unveiling the same war memorial.

Wind back the clock further, and those trees shrink back, disappear and another, less weighty, monument takes pride of place at the Square in Abingdon, Berkshire.

Bath Street Changes

Centre Stage is moving from Bath Street to take a unit at Coxeters at the end of March.

Over the road, in Bath Street, the future of the Venue does not look certain.

Said and Done

The Abingdon Arts Festival 2008 runs from March 1st to March 15th. On the final day of the festival Roger McGough will be reading poetry and extracts from his autobiography 'Said and Done'. Tickets are available at the Jenifer Gerard Gallery or at Mostly Books next door.

For the last few weeks, the poster has been in the door of the Jennifer Gerard Gallery

Over the weekend it has been joined by some less welcome notices.

Abingdon's Free Mooring

There can be 200 daily adult visitors coming from the river to use the town during the boating season. Some time back the Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC) abolished mooring charges and allowed boats to stay for up to five days, without charge, to encourage such trade.

Downstream from Abingdon Bridge where the banks are higher and better for cruisers there are mooring rings fixed into the concrete.

Upstream from the bridge two separate lengths of timber edged mooring were put in some years back: one length opposite the swimming pool, the other nearer Abingdon Lock. The banks are lower here and more suited to narrow boats. Stakes are driven into the bank here to secure the boats.

Abingdon Country Market

Every Friday from 9:30 to 11, in the Roysse Room, you will find the Country Market. Here you can buy cakes, preserves, bread, craft, plants etc. . You can also get the cheapest tea or coffee in Abingdon.

Customers used to queue outside to get in, but nowadays trade is quieter.

The Country Market, better known as the W.I Market, has been running for over 50 years in Abingdon.

I cannot guarantee there will always be a Friday Country Market in Abingdon, so visit soon. Rent is up and customer numbers are down as everywhere in Abingdon.

Spring into Abingdon

An e-mail from Hesta suggested an idea called 'Spring into Abingdon'

What about making the Market Place lively and interesting from March to May? Invite bands and community groups so there is something every Saturday.

The town council also wants it to be used more to make the town centre more colourful.

Community Groups can book at the Old Abbey House and use it for free on Saturdays. Ring the information desk at 01235 522711 if you want to check out a date. There's room for three groups a Saturday.

Also see the Abingdon Information Centre diary for a Whats On in Abingdon.

Love Abingdon

Here we are in precinct. And all I see are red hearts

more red hearts

Even the British Heart Foundation have Hearts with messages written by celebrities and messages by ordinary people. Stuff like...

This town has been here long as I remember
This town will be here long after I am gone
This town has had her up and down times
This town keeps going on and on

Abingdon-on-Thames

St Helens Church, the Old Anchor Inn,and the Almshouses are reflected here in the River Thames at Abingdon.

The Abingdon forum has had a short discussion thread about whether our town should use the name 'Abingdon-On-Thames'.

The longer name is and can be used. Wikipedia begins the town's entry: "Abingdon (traditionally known as Abingdon-on-Thames)..." And The Abingdon-on-Thames Chamber of Commerce sees promotional value in 'On-Thames' .

I stick to 'Abingdon' because its shorter.

Its gotta get bad before it gets good

Jimmy James of the Abingdon Market Traders appeared on BBC South Today in a feature about Oxfordshire Markets. Trade is down generally because of competition from large 'under one roof' superstores. Younger people don't use markets so much as their seniors.

Cargo has a Closing Down Sale. Notices say 'Only this Store is closing'

Despite the 'Sale Continues' notice, Stead & Simpson has stayed closed. .

"Its gotta get bad before it gets good" was on the soundtrack of Skins tonight.

Out Now!

'Ock Street Remembered - An Abingdon Community' - the book of the Ock Street exhibition is out now, and available from both book shops in Abingdon. Elizabeth Drury is co-editor of the book which can now be seen displayed in the window of the Book Store.

At the back of the book are pictures of the Ock Street businesses that have given their support. Inside there are many pictures including the street floods in 2007, 1947, 1903 and 1894.

People are coming from far and wide to see the exhibition and find out about their ancestors. This will be a good souvenir for them, and for the rest of us.

Space - the final frontier

This picture shows St Michaels in the foreground, and the Trinity spire in the background.

It has been a special weekend at Trinity. Since September the church has been without a minister. But it looks as if they have made contact.

Over this weekend, the church's top choice from a list of applicants was invited to meet people, meet other ministers of the Church in Abingdon, and then preach with a view to becoming the minister.

The title of the sermon was 'Space - the final frontier.'

After the service the people of the church met, and decided if this was the right person for the job. When a new pope is chosen: black smoke means a split decision, and white smokes means a successor has been chosen.

(I'm not sure if Trinity follow the same convention but its likely they do.)

Water Vole's Last Stand

The Town Crier and Water Vole were out in town announcing a public meeting.

On the platform, Save Radley Lakes campaigners were joined by Dr Evan Harris, local MP (Lib-Dem) and prospective MPs (Conservative, Green, and Labour). So the campaign has cross party support, and the support of Radley Parish Council. They are now waiting to see next week whether Abingdon Town Council will also be able support them.

Money is needed from supporters to launch a judicial review - which will decide whether Thrupp Lake can be re-designated a Village Green, and saved from destruction.

To find out more visit Save Radley Lakes .

Forum 4 Abingdon

Somebody did comment recently they'd like to have a forum to discuss Abingdon issues like the traffic system.

There is a new forum and its name is posted on many shop windows in the town centre. Its Action 4 Abingdon. The people organising it have even undertaken an independent traffic survey to take to the County Council.

I sometimes think that West St Helen Street acts like a barometer measuring the pressure of traffic through town. When things are getting bad in the High Street it has an even more dramatic effect on West St Helen Street because people can't get out. Today was a relatively calm day and the traffic barometer stayed at a calm level.

Flood Fair

It was not a fair in the usual sense. The flood fair at the Guildhall was a chance to see a variety of flood protection devices.

There was the Geodesign or 'Pallet Barrier', a large barrier that protects an area. It is the self acclaimed "21st century alternative to the humble sandbag".

There were also devices people could get installed themselves: barriers, and flood shields round doors, back flow valves for toilets, smart air bricks etc. etc....

The national flood forum ( a charity set up by people who have been flooded to help other people who get flooded) had a stall offering advice ...

as did VWHDC and the Environment Agency (EA). Both had a very similar picture showing just how many streams feed into the River Ock and then into the Thames. The EA stall holder did say they were still looking at the flood capture area west of the A34. Hopefully it will make enough of a difference to be worth doing.

New Foot Bridge

The new footbridge works got waterlogged a couple of weeks ago.

But is progressing again now. It will cross between the Riverside development and the Abbey Meadows.

Feb Flowers

Just a few of the Feb flowers in the Albert Park. There are

too many to be counted in places, but most are small spindly specimens.

There are also snow drops, and the first daffodils.

They don't seem up to fluttering and dancing in the breeze yet. They can barely manage a nod. They've been woken up too early.

Bee and Lark have flown ....

The Busy Bee has blown

The Eben Lark has flown.

Leaving just a memory

And other news stories from last week, some of which won't be news to everyone but here they are anyway:

The smoke from a big petrol station fire at Sutton Courtney could be seen from miles around including, I guess, Abingdon. (I missed that one completely)

Some representatives from Didcot Town Council came to watch the proceedings at Abingdon Town Council. They were reconsidering - now their town is getting far grander - whether to wear traditional gowns at town council meetings like Abingdon. Maybe we should return the visit to look at how to turn a town around. Didcot started to turn it around when nPower paid for them to have a town centre manager as recompense for the gas powered Didcot B power station. But they have also had public money pumped in - paid for by the rest of us.

Halcrow, the consultants who helped design the AbITs traffic system, were supposed to return to do another study to report on the actual operation of the system, but this may be overtaken by a local initiative: some town centre businesses may try to undertake an independent report after circulating a petition.

The Mayor signed the Nottingham Declaration on climate change.

The Wootton Road post office is on the list of those destined for possible closure, as is the one at Dalton Barracks. Sounds a bit of a blow for the recently returned soldiers.

Virtual Co-op

Colourful hoardings have brightened up the top of West St Helen Street.

Abingdon Town A.B.C

This is Rob Southey the chief boxing coach at the Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club. The club are trying to fund raise £200,000 for a gym.

Fundraising began at noon today with a sponsored twelve hour darts match, and a collection round the pubs in Abingdon.

(teams were looking at the Oxford Mail photographer at this point)

There has been a boxing club, or boxing training going on in Abingdon for as long as anybody could remember. Over the years they've been in rented rooms and gyms - not all suitable for boxing:

• Across from the Horse and Jocky pub on bath street (now Gosling Court) in the 30s and 40s
• Near the Abingdon Carpet factory (now the Upper Reaches hotel)
• Opposite the old railway station
• Behind Barclays Bank (in the 70's when Rob and Donald Southey first went as young lads)
• Old Gaol (during the 80's and 90's) until it closed
• Dalton Barracks (while they had an army sponsor)
• Preston Road Community Centre (this year)

If they can raise £200K, and build their own gym, they kept telling me "It will be something for the kids." Not just boxers "It will be something everybody can use."

Anyway, 12 hours later, Dave accepted the trophy for winning the darts competition with the highest individual score. Over 2,000 darts had been thrown. About £2,500 was raised from the darts and the pub donations.

T Shirts were made and donated by The Warehouse near Coxeters.

The darts were all thrown at the Plough Inn, with thanks to the Landlord.

Ali needs a re-paint

Most of the murals on the Reynolds Way wall have survived in good condition. But Muhammed Ali could do with a re-paint.

Muhammed Ali used to visit Saxton Road, with his entourage, to see an old friend - which is why he is so well remembered down that way.

Car Park Review revisited

Looks like the Car Park review has had one effect. The access to levels at the multi-story have been swapped about to make it easier for shoppers. Either that or somebody has been out with Letraset .