Goodbye Christmas Tree

The Town Council, and TVF hire equipment, have been recycling Christmas trees on the market place between 9am and 3pm.

(Representatives of the firemen were also out petitioning against the proposed changes to manning in Abingdon and Didcot... Public Meeting Friday 15th Guildhall 7 PM).

Here is the last we will saw of our Christmas Tree.

That was it.

Snow Creations

Tim Smith, Martin Wakenier, Lou Heffernan and Sarah Glover made and sent me pictures of these wonderful creations in the Abbey Grounds. They made the Oxford 'Ox'...

and the Vale 'White Horse'.

Thanks to Sally for this huge snowman they made yesterday.

This is the Grace Family Snowman - dressed by Harriet and built by Dad.

Elizabeth sent me "Enjoying the last of the afternoon sunshine" from near Abingdon Lock.

Thanks to John for this picture of a large snow ball in the Albert Park.

On the bench outside Thorntons was this snowman - featuring real chocolate.

A new annex at Abingdon School rapidly took shape thanks to the snow.

There was this stylish snow person at the top of Coopers Lane with arms and legs.

Finally pigeons in the snow. It felt colder today and because a lot of roads and pavements were uncleared it was slippery.

Snow on Snow on Snow

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (2005 film) was on TV last night, and this was the view out of our lounge window - like our own personal Narnia.

While others slept a row of snow men formed on the Market Place (thanks to Elizabeth for this one).

After a night of snow, the snow kept falling through the day...

snow on snow on snow...

I have lived in Abingdon for over 23 years, and up until today we have always looked back on 1987 as the most snowy winter.

But carry on like this and 1987 is gonna get beat. More pictures of the snow and snow creations on tomorrow's blog post.

The previous picture shows town council workmen clearing the Market Place. There were powercuts this afternoon from 4-7 affecting the High Street and the other side of West St Helen Street including the Co-op - but not our side.

And this is the national picture from a Nasa Satellite picture taken at 11.15 am today.

Snowfall Arrives In Abingdon

Snowfall that started in the north of the country earlier in the day came to Abingdon as people drove home from work.

Evening courses at Abingdon College were called off, and so as it continues snowing through the night the advice is to check the Oxfordshire County Council website for school closures or listen for announcements on all your friendly local radio breakfast shows.... BBC Radio Oxford (95.2 FM), Heart FM (102.6 or 97.4 FM), FM 107.9 and Jack FM (106.8 FM).

Fog and Frost

Fog and frost gave a white covering to everything this morning.

The trees looked like large fluffy feathers.

And the teasel was thick with cotton thread.

Opening Soon

Dream Doors where Charles Lawson once was.

Martin & Co Letting Agent where Cheques Cashed Fast used to be.

Mieneke Cox

Mieneke Cox wrote many books on the history of Abingdon over the last thirty years, and for many of us - we read it first thanks to her.

The Story of Abingdon - part one - takes us from pre history to 1186 A.D.

At the end of the book she says "In 1186 when the monastery and Abingdon's growing industries attracted new inhabitants, the town was already old. The pattern was set for the future in which we, the successors of those who trod Abingdon's streets before us, are responsible for cherishing our precious heritage."

In "Medieval Abingdon - the story of Abingdon part two" - she says "Abingdon has such a rich medieval history that it has been difficult to fit it into a small, easy-to-read book..."

In her books, she is often a story teller - retelling the stories she told children when working as Curator of Abingdon Borough Museum from 1970 until 1980. But there are other times when she relates the smaller telling details discovered through her researches as an archivist and historian of the town... Take for example The Abbey Gardener's Accounts 1388/89 "He sold whatever he could - an old fence, firewood, fish, herbage, wine, grapes, fish, vines, cider,apples, pears, nuts, an ash-tree at one shilling."

The story continues in an exciting part three - Peace and War - which takes in the Civil War where Abingdon was a garrison Town... and then beyond in subsequent books, . Mieneke Cox acknowledged she was indebted to the research of predecessors like Arthur E Preston, and Agnes C Baker etc. , and many helpers ...

She died on Tuesday 22nd December, a day before her 81st birthday, and will be greatly missed, particularly at The Abingdon Area Archaeological and Historical Society where she was an active member.