Co-op Building - September progress

This is what the Co-op used to look like - complete with Rover 25.

Its replacement is still taking shape. I'm trying to think what car would best fit outside...

Stocks Beer Fest

A group of Mods are seen arriving here at The Stocks Bar (thats at the Crown and Thistle on Bridge Street) - presumably for the Beer Festival, and not just to show off their good looks.

Real Ale from twelve casks was being sold in the back room.

The beers were all fairly local, everything from Burford Best to Wayland Smithy - all £2.50 a pint. No suprise that I went for the Village Idiot.

And for £2 you could get a commemorative "Stocks Beer Festival" glass, with the profits going to charity.

Outside a band were playing, entertaining the crowds, and very good.

Swim For Abingdon

Here are some of the people who took part in the Swim for Abingdon.

Swim For Abingdon was conceived and organised by Penny Clover of Abingdon Charities Together - five small Abingdon charities that work together for fund raising.

Viewed here at the Deep End is one of the teams taking part.

This was his last appearance before the Mayor flies over to Abingdon, Virginia for their 230th Anniversary celebration. On That Abingdon's website is a feature saying the British are coming. They are expecting about 40 people from This Abingdon.

Saxophone (and Reading) Saturday

On the Market Place this morning a large number of saxophones could be heard - led by George Haslam. It continued this afternoon with a Saxophone quartet from Abingdon Concert Band

It was called Saxophone Saturday.

In the Guildhall the Mayor was presenting reading certificates on behalf of Abingdon Library who had been running a reading scheme over the summer. Children who read six books or more got a certificate.

Some young people had time to read six books and learn saxophone.

Alpha Supper and Eid Festival

The Alpha Course banners have been out for a while, and tonight it kicked off.

I saw people, some with musical instruments, leaving the Guildhall after The Abingdon Alpha Supper - an introductory dinner and jazz evening. I was too late to get pictures inside but will try to get to go to a group at least once to explore the big questions.

Also next Wednesday 1st October is the end of the Muslim fast of Ramadan and there will be an Eid Festival with prayer and celebration at the same venue - the Guildhall. The Abingdon Muslim group welcome other faiths and community. Time 9:30 am.

Just another impediment!

The Drayton Road Bridge divides Abingdon in two. To the south of the River Ock about a third of the population live. They suffer more traffic problems than the rest of Abingdon.

The bridge acts as a bottleneck to traffic coming from the south, and has been widened on a couple of ocassions, most recently in about 1970. Looking up inside the bridge it is layered like the growth of a tree. On one side the bridge is arched, in the middle the circular arch is made of bricks, finally the most recent bridge widening uses prefabricated concrete.

It not only acts as a bottleneck to traffic, last July the water could not get under the arches and backed up and backed up and flooded all over. This crack willow has split and fallen into the stream. Just another impediment!

Car Free Road

Last school term this road (near Abingdon School) would have been full or cars for most of the day, but after the introduction of clamping signs there is not a car to be seen.

Name that School - 1

What School in Abingdon has been invaded Daleks?

Two clues:

1. Children from this school used to be featured on the intro to BBC South Today - Oxford
2. Anagram of 'Sedate Him'

Asylum Monologues

At Saint Helens Church this evening we heard personal testimonies of Asylum Seekers in the UK as performed by actors in a very simple and powerful show. It has already been performed in many towns in the UK, and it just needs someebody local to ask and they'll do it where you are. See Actors For Refugees for more information.

These were the actors tonight. They come from a rolling band of willing volunteers, and were presented with a Saint Helens Church mug for their efforts.

'This is the thing that the British people don’t understand. They think we came here just because we want to live here. We came here because there are problems – that why we came here.'

The local MP, Dr Evan Harris is seen here talking afterwards with Christine Bacon who runs the show.

Know your PCSOs

These PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) have just sorted out a couple of cowboys who pulled up opposite the War Memorial. The Cowboys needed directions to the Abbey Buildings.

PCSOs have become a common sight, particularly in the town centre. A new web site can tell you all about them. Their locally defined priorities are to tackle

1. Anti-social behaviour
2. Gangs of young people
3. Underage drinking

Nothing about sorting out Cowboys!!!

To find out more ...

Rabbit Racing

At Preston Road Community Centre last night was rabbit racing. It was put on to raise money for respite care for children with severe illnesses - the appeal is dedicated to Rosie who had a brain tumour.

The evening was organised by the Buffs (The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes).

Announcing New Sweet Shop

The Town Crier came today to announce the opening of the new sweet shop in Stert Street, where Poldeli used to be.

They sell traditional sweets in jars, and packets, and if they have not got the one you want, they will try to order it. They also have locally made chocolates (from Henley), and today were giving away hot chocolate drinks.

Pews Away 08

Thanks to John for sending this picture of St Michael's, Park Road. It shows the interior recently cleared of old pews before extensive works to modernise. The pews are to be replaced by chairs - as has already happened in many other churches.

Last Sunday as I passed the Conduit Centre, next to Trinity Church, I heard St Michael's congregation and cantor singing their mass - the Conduit Centre is their temporary home.

Each Sunday, there are two churches meeting on opposite sides of the Trinity Church lawn. The two congregations will finally join up together as one for the Harvest Festival. As the not so eminent theologian Father Jack Hackett was taught to say: "Yes!" and "That would be an ecumenical matter!"

Progress Update

At Long Alley Almshouses the old tiles and batons are being stripped off to leave bare rafters which are then kept dry with plastic sheeting.

At the bottom of West Saint Helen Street the hole has been filled over. Just a darker square of tarmac shows where it once was. That is not to say there are not other problems down there as Victorian storm drains decay beneath our feet, but at least the smell of sewage that has been apparent down that way for a while has been explained and cleared up.

ANNABELINDA - A Retrospective 1971 - 2008

At the Abingdon County Hall Museum from 6th Sep to 9th Nov is an exhibition of the haute couture of Annabelinda.

Belinda O’Hanlon and Anita Woodhead opened Annabelinda in Oxford in 1971, designing and making clothes, and have carried on and built up a huge archive of designs.

The Annabelinda website says: "35 years on it is their reputation for the lavish time, care and attention paid to the line and finish of each garment that still makes an Annabelinda creation so highly and irresistibly desirable."

Launch of Town Shopping Map 2nd ed

On display on Saturday for the first time was the second edition of the town shopping map.

The map was also being given away, after its launch, as part of the Odd One Out in the Shop Window Competition on Saturday. Hester is here checking entries. (Pictures from Lesley.)

Fun In the Parks

Another enjoyable Fun in the Parks. Heritage Day and Fun in The Parks got lucky with the weather. Just a few things that caught my attention...

Ceroc Dancing

The Abingdon Baptist Church childrens activity area.

Ed the Magician - who won Abingdon's got Talent -

with an enthralled audience of young children today. After the act he was giving out 'Hire Magician for Birthday Party' leaflets.

A Fijian war dance, done by Fijian Soldiers from Dalton Barracks.

It ended with the kids v parents tug a war.

Boundary Walk

A good few people went on the boundary walk this morning including Tony Legge in top hat. He was unable to get his Town Criers uniform, and so instead dressed as the Doctor / Undertaker from the mummers play. Thanks to Lesley for this picture.

National Heritage Day - 2008 - Abingdon

53 shops had a balloon in the window and an object not normally sold there. The Finishing Touch had Henry the Hoover. In a competition, people had to go round finding as many as they could. The balloons were Heritage Day balloons.

The Morris Men did two performances on the Market Place and many more elsewhere. The audience participation parts worked well.

There was a balloon launch with balloons from Centre Stage. Only about 40 balloons went up this time. The others 30 were taken home on strings. Centre stage is a great shops for party things, and costumes, and dance wear. Centre Stage are now in Coxeters.

This is Lesley - an original suffragette.

Other people were dressed up at the Abbey Buildings. The day did show off Abingdon's heritage, and all the open venues did well.

David, for example, opened his house for the first time and had over 200 visitors. David is an expert in vernacular architecture.

The secret of the hole is revealed

Thanks to Alan and Elizabeth for this picture.

This picture shows the smashed culvert, made from Victorian bricks to the left, and the damaged sewer, removed, in the centre.

Hole By Night

As you can see now from this nighttime shot, the hole has moved on. It is now a small construction site, ordered by health and safety regulations.

At the scene of the hole

Yesterday water was seen coming out of the hole and they have determined that a culvert (or water pipe) has collapsed.

As you can see, at the scene of the hole today, they have brought in some bigger diggers to dig a bigger hole.

I hear there have been no great archaelogical findings, perhaps some evidence of settlement layers on the east side but they can't be dated. Being a road it has already been dug up quite a lot.

The hole has allowed for workmen to come in and repair all the other cracks and holes along West Saint Helen Street.

OPEN NOW

Not far from the hole, other things are open. The Ock Street Exhibiton has come back for the third time. Its been open for a few weeks now and runs to the end of Heritage Weekend - just coming.

This time the exhibition is at St Helens Church, and set off by ancient memorial stones. It is put together by the Ock Street Heritage Group of the Abingdon Area Archaeological and Historical Society (Aaahs for short).

A tunnel or a Stream?

There are boxes like this all the way up West Saint Helen Street now. Not only has a hole opened up on Sunday but, who knows, more may follow. People talk of a tunnel, or of a stream. This white box is near where we live.

The road is closed from the 8th to 11th September.

A hole in West Saint Helen Street

A deep hole has just opened up in West Saint Helen Stret.

Witnesses tell me that there was a roller helping lay tarmac over a hole last night and overnight it just opened up.

Looking down the hole, all that can be seen is darkness without end.

Shop Window Competition

Heritage Open Day is next Saturday. This display is in the library. There are the historic buildings open for free, and this year there is an odd object in the shop window competition.

Free entry forms to be found on the Market Place. Its really for the fun of taking part, but there will be prizes as well.

Elsewhere today there was a French Market in town. But do we need them now we have Patisserie Pascal?

and the Abingdon Community Church, who meet at Thameside School, were promoting an Alpha Course.

Community Matters

'Every month each Waitrose supermarket will distribute £1,000 between three local projects. Customers will be encouraged to vote for their preferred project and the £1,000 will be split in line with the vote.'

This time the leader is the 'Abingdon Alzheimers Club', and last month the clear leader was 'Friends of Abingdon Community Hospital.'

The Almshouses move on

The Almshouses as you have never seen them before - unless you go by this way regularly. The charity of Christ's Hospital of Abingdon, who look after them, dates back a long way. The new roof tiles will be chosen to last. Christ's Hospital must think in decades while we think in days.

However in the day-to-day blink-of-an-eye the archway leading from the Almshouses to the river was, apparently, damaged by a delivery lorry.

ASK

I've just looked on the Ask website and Abingdon is not there yet on the drop down.

Ask, Abingdon opens today. The building, known as Pulpit House, was the one time Abingdon Congregational Church in the Square. Since then it has either been FOR LET, or an office. Vacated as a church in 1968 but not sold until 1980. A marketing company took it over and got a design award for the way they had one company on the groundfloor, and another on the balcony. That closed in 2006. The bushes grew and grew in front until Ask came along. They are owned by the same company who owns Pizza Express so they should already know a bit about Abingdon. Now the bushes are cleared away and ...

Town Action Plan

Last Saturday was one of the best days of the summer. The outdoor swimming pool, and water "feature", had never had it so good. But now the children are back at school.

Turn to the financial pages you'll see how things have cooled. In Abingdon some businesses are finding it difficult, and, before even all that, there was a crisis of confidence in this town and action 4 abingdon was set up.

Yesterday the Joint Economic Forum (JEF) met to agree the draft Abingdon Town Report and Action Plan. The JEF is a committee that meets regularly to discuss Abingdon matters with 5 members from town council, 5 from district council, and 5 from the chamber of commerce. Members of Action 4 Abingdon also come as observers. The Report was commissioned to see the best way different bodies can work together to move Abingdon forward, and to set a list of important actions.

The report suggested setting up a town board with a paid manager to drive through change. An interim management board has been set up to move things forward. An interim manager is to be appointed. Then they will carry on consulting with both a business and a community forum which have been very important bringing people together that would not have seemed possible a year ago. The interim board will investigate the future form the town board should take (Membership could be one member and officer from town council, district council, county council, Chamber of Commerce, and other business groups.), and appoint a manager. At the same time they will pursue some of the actions that could be achieved with existing resources.

The town council has the full report.

New Opening

This pub reopened a week ago looking very smart.

It seems to be more a place where you sit, drink and eat, maybe wine and tapas, rather than crowd around the bar talking football in the evening. The entry age has been raised to 21.

Bath Street Changes

Smarts Fish & Chips have been closed for most of August, for re-decoration, and the youngest member of the backstreet household is missing her regular dose of Smarts Cheese and Chips.


Also I see that Ladbrokes, a well known betting firm, want to take over the Venue. The Venue has been closed since the owner emigrated a few months back.