Petunias keep Abingdon looking colourful

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We are into another hot spell, and all the petunias planted by the Town Council staff in the beds and hanging baskets around the town centre are looking colourul.

I saw a flatbed truck full of plants going up West St Helen Street last week, and now that they have been planted they need regular watering to help them establish during the dry weather.

There is also the ongoing work of weeding and dead heading to keep the displays looking their best.

Petunias are a favourite choice for town centre and park displays because they flower continuously from early summer until the first frosts.

Abbey Buildings Work Set to Start

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It looks as though the archway linking Checker Walk and Thames Street will soon close as work begins on the major restoration and improvement of Abingdon’s historic Abbey Buildings.

There is no sign of heavy machinery on site yet, but glaziers have been at work, and three more of the Abbey windows have now been leaded with glass and their protective canvas removed.

The project is part of a major programme of improvements supported by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The aim is to conserve and restore the historic Abbey Buildings while making them more accessible and usable and better suited for year-round use.

England 3–2 Mexico: A Game Worth waiting up for

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The kick-off at 1am was delayed until 2am after an electrical storm. So lots of people in Abingdon had a very late night.

The match itself more than made up for the wait. In an exciting match, England eventually were 3–2 winners over Mexico, after having to play almost half the game with ten men.

Martin stayed up to watch it. After what turned out to be one of the best England performances he had ever seen, he managed only a couple of hours’ sleep before heading off early to set up his market stall, where Abingdon 2027 calendars are now on sale.

He’s ready for another 1am game tonight: Belgium v USA. Martin is originally from Belgium, and according to an image on his phone, “the rest of the world” will be backing Belgium against the USA.

Mostly Books Celebrates 20 Years

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Mostly Books celebrated its twentieth anniversary yesterday.

The shop window, which is usually home to one of its distinctive painted displays, currently features How the Oceans Work by Dr Lucia Perez Diaz. Copies of the book are on display alongside a display for Paint Abingdon Pink. Framing the door is an arch made from balloons and books, looking like something oceanic.

Twenty years ago, on 1 July 2006, the doors opened for the first time. There were still books in boxes and shelves were being sorted as customers wandered in. It was the hottest day of the year. There was Wimbledon and World Cup Football, but people kept coming through the door on that first day, delighted to find Abingdon had another bookshop (the town already had The Bookstore).

Champagne was offered to customers, although many preferred water in the heat. One customer asked whether they could buy a Pride & Prejudice deckchair like the one in the window. Another volunteered to run toddler story sessions. And the card reader gave up in the heat of the afternoon. The customer whose payment was being processed emptied the contents of her purse, and was given a staff discount so she could still leave with her books.

By the end of that first day, the shop had sold books, cards, mugs and cookware. The premises had previously been the second outlet for Added Ingredients, trading as “& More Ingredients”, and some of that cookware was still being sold alongside the books. After months of planning Mark and Nikki Thornton had a bookshop.

Eleven years later, in June 2017, the keys of the bookshop were handed over to a new owner, Sarah Dennis, who has now been in charge for nine years. Yesterday’s anniversary brought Mark and Nikki back to visit Sarah. See Anna’s Book Blog at https://annabookbel.net/mostly-books-is-20-years-old for a short report and picture.