Monthly Archives: February 2016

Didcot Power Station Chimney at night

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Chimney
The lights of the 200 meter high chimney at Didcot Power Station can be seen reflected in the River Thames at Abingdon.

A lady, I knew, approached while I was taking the picture, to say ‘Unlucky Didcot’. Her father worked there as part of the initial crew, and over the years she could remember other accidents, during the building of the power station, and since. Then just last year the woodern cooling towers, for the new gas fired power station, caught fire. Yesterday part of the concrete and steel boiler house, being prepared for demolition, collapsed, tragically killing one person. Three others are missing.

Stratton Way Mural at Night

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Mural
Here are a couple of pictures of the Stratton Way underpass at night – at its most atmospheric.
Mural
The 1980s mural decorating the Stratton Way underpass was repainted by the original artists, Margaret and Gwynne Jones, in 2007. As well as showing off some important characters in Abingdon’s history, the artwork brightens what would otherwise be a murky underpass.

Abingdon Garth

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Abingdon Garth
While going up Noddle Hill Way in the city of Hull, over the weekend, I was pleased to see a small residential road with the name Abingdon Garth.
Abingdon Garth
In Yorkshire dialect I believe that a garth is a small grass enclosure adjacent to a house. The Abingdon Garth has a fenced grass area near the houses.

The Garths make up an area in the large Bransholme housing estate to the north of Hull. They start with Abingdon Garth, and end with Zeals Garth. There are 25 garths in all, only one starting with X is missing.

I could not find the connection with Abingdon in Oxfordshire but somebody may know.

Murk – An Abingdon Rag Magazine – 1962, 1964 and 1965

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Many thanks to Graham for a follow up to his article, “The Pit”, that generated so much interest. This time he sends something quite different – extracts from an Abingdon Rag Mag called Murk.
Rag Magazine
The first edition is from 1962 where the writers predict what The Rag Procession in 1968 will look like.
Rag Magazine
The third edition of Murk is from 1964.
Rag Magazine
The fourth edition is from 1965. Graham says a lot of the jokes would create offence in this politically correct era. Here are a few carefully selected …
Rag Magazine
Also of interest are the adverts …
Rag Magazine
I assume the Rag Mags are from the newly formed Abingdon College, but Culham College was still going strong in the 1960s so I could be wrong.