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.