Author Archives: Back Streeter

Arts Festival in Abingdon from 15th May

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250 covid-secure venues and 500 virtual exhibitions and studios are open for the 2021 Oxfordshire Artweeks festival from May 1st – May 23rd. (Last year there were only virtual exhibitons).

In Abingdon the festival will run from Saturday, May 15th to Sunday, May 23rd in venues across the town, including the County Hall Museum, St Nicolas Church, St Ethelwold’s House, 30 Abbot Road, and the Peachcroft Farm Barn (flier pictured above).

Check out https://www.artweeks.org/festival/map for opening times. Brochures were also posted through doors so you might also check your letter tray.

Thankyou to Caroline for these pictures from Peachcroft Barn as they finished setting up the exhibition.

Jetty and Portage complete

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A correspondent sent me some pictures to show that the new jetty at Abingdon Lock is now complete.

Boats go one side,

and canoe portage the other.

A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. It may also be a walkway on water. The word is from the French word jetée, ‘thrown’, signifying something thrown out.

Portage is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land. It is from the French word ‘Porter’ to wear or to carry.

Europe Day – 9th May

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Thankyou to Brian who sent this picture celebrating Europe Day! It shows the European Flag flying above the County Hall Museum in Abingdon.

Brian says, ‘It has been the flag of the Council of Europe since 1955. The UK is a founding member of the Council and, of course, is still a member.’

‘Much later, in 1985, the same flag was also adopted by the EC.’

Elections in Abingdon – with pandemic regulations

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There was a cold frosty start to Thursday, the May election Day. Voting started at 7am and ended at 10pm. There was some sunshine during the day but it never got very warm.

People working at the polling stations began work at about 6 am to get everything ready. This included the usual things such as unpacking and putting together the polling booths, and new things such as one way arrows, and screens between officials and voters, and hand gel.

Entry to the polling stations was from one end, and exit from the other, where possible. Doors were left open for a free passage of air.

The election was for Oxfordshire County Councillors, Police and Crime Commissioner, and a Town Councillor for Fitzharris Ock Ward.

At the Guildhall, where I voted, you were expected to wear a facemask, and were asked whether you had brought your own pen, and the booths were wiped between use.

There was no entry through the Cinema doors which open from May 17th with Nomadland, Six Minutes to Midnight, and Peter Rabbit 2.

I saw Chris Palmer delivering leaflets at 7:10 in the morning near the Reynolds Way shops. He said the postal vote was up on usual but it was difficult to predict voter turnout or how it would go. He was standing in South Abingdon. The usual Conservatives, Mike and Marilyn Badcock, had retired after many dedicated years of service to that part of town. Their long term opponent, Neil Fawcett was still there standing for the Lib-Dems. Neil has worked for the Lib-Dems as a professional campaign manager, and brings his campaigning skills to Abingdon and his impressive deep voice to debates.

Alison Rooke the Lib Deb candidate for East Abingdon rang me early on Thursday afternoon to see if I had voted, then asked if I had voted for her.

It took longer to count the results than usual because of the pandemic restrictions. The voting was on Thursday and the results were counted on Sunday. The Lib-Dems have won all three Abingdon seats as in the last election in 2017. Here are the winners and their winning margins:

There was also a Town Council election which the Lib-Dems won.

The new councilor replaces the energetic and free-thinking Jeanette Halliday, seen here before the 2011 C and W bun throwing.