Two New Views of Abingdon for the Museum


At present, two new painting are displayed side by side in the Attic of Abingdon County Hall Museum. Both now belong to the museum. One was a gift from Sint-Niklaas to the Abingdon Church Twinning Group who, after displaying it themselves at churches, donated it to the museum. That is Study of St Helen’s Church and St Helen’s Wharf by George Vicat Cole.

The other, Near Abingdon, a watercolour by Arthur Claude Strachan, was purchased from a bequest from Peter Clare. Peter worked for the UK Atomic Energy Authority at Harwell and later for a scientific institute in Cambridge, before returning to Abingdon to work in the family business, Touchwood Sports, on the High Street. Alongside his professional life, and in retirement, Peter became involved in many local organisations, and was treasurer of the Abingdon Museum Friends and CPRE Oxfordshire for many years.

(CPRE Oxfordshire have an obituary to peter in their Autumn 2021 magazine.)

A Town Centre Opening This Weekend


There are three or four businesses about to open in Abingdon Town Centre. The first opening on Saturday 7th March at 26 Stert Street is a clinic offering a range of skincare treatments. The premises has been refurbished recently with a uniform colour scheme. A ‘Grand Opening’ notice was added this week. It operates on an appointment-only basis, with bookings made online via its website.

Town Centre Dresses for World Book Day


Masons, the craft and fabric shop, decorated their window three weeks ago with a mermaid rising from a sea of children’s books. They have animal character headbands on sale, and material out of which creative people could make favourite book characters.

At Oxfam, a dress made from the sewn pages of a book stands in the window, alongside a display of books.

World Book Day is celebrated on the first Thursday in March each year. World Book Day was set up in 1995 to encourage children to discover the pleasure of reading. The book shops will have books available for just £1.

Schools taking part in Book Day will have celebrations to promote a love for reading.

And beyond the animal headbands and mermaids, there are plenty of books waiting for grown-up readers too.

More Bus Shelters on Stratton Way


A long line of bus shelters now stretches along Stratton Way. Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council has installed two new bus shelters to provide additional seating and shelter between the three already in place. The original three were installed twenty years ago when Stratton Way became two-way as part of ABITS (the Abingdon Integrated Transport Strategy), and the main bus waiting point moved to Stratton Way. The new shelters have been added to cater for the high number of passengers using the Oxford bound stops each day.