Building works in South Abingdon


The Premier Inn on Marcham Road is watertight. Work to install lifts and electricals is progressing inside. Aluminium-coloured cladding has been added to the external walls of the first and second storeys. The building replaces the Tesco Garden Centre.

The new flats near Hartwells, off Drayton Road, are also watertight. A channel to provide services has been dug, and the top of the buildings has been decorated with wood cladding. This building replaces Ladygrove Cottage.

Foundations have been dug for another 8 flats on Drayton Road. The flats replace the Poplars, a house with stone lions on the gateposts and some vigorous pampas grass.

Pruned at both ends


The plane trees along St Helen’s Wharf have their branches pruned back to almost nothing every few years, but they don’t seem to mind and slowly grow back. From time to time, their roots crack and lift the asphalt pavement until the council notices and marks the offending roots

and gets them pruned and covered with fresh tarmac. But they will be back.

Nominations for Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council


I live in the Abbey Ward and so far have had a visit from one candidate, Cheryl Briggs, the Green Candidate. Looking at the list of candidates for the Abbey Ward, no Conservatives are contesting the two seats. Normally Lib-Dems and Conservatives would contest every seat.

Even stranger is that in Northcourt Ward, the two Lib-Dem candidates will get in without a vote. Nobody else has stood.

For the 19 town council seats, there are:
18 Lib-Dems
7 Conservatives
6 Labour
2 Greens
1 Independent

The one independent is Charlie Birks, who resigned as a Lib-Dem, about six months ago. The current Mayor, Cllr Andy Foulsham is not standing again for the town council. Neither is the leader of the council, Cllr Sam Bowring.

If you look at candidates for the district council, with 10 Abingdon seats, there are:
10 Lib-Dems
10 Conservatives
7 Labour
3 Greens

Abingdon Alphabets Quilting Exhibition

The County Hall Museum is usually closed on Monday but was open today because it was a Bank Holiday, giving visitors a place to look around out of the wind. As well as the permanent exhibition, there was the Abingdon Alphabet exhibition.

Nineteen quilters from the three local quilting groups (Abbey, Fitzharrys and Barn Cafe) have produced an A-Z of Abingdon Quilt.

Q X Y Z are the more difficult letters in any A-Z. Q is for Quilt.

X for the Market Place X of paths

Y for Yoke. The museum has a permanent yolk.
Z for Zebra Crossing featuring characters from the Abingdon underpass mural

There were also individual quilts in the exhibition.

What would you have done for your X Y Z of Abingdon?