Author Archives: Backstreeter

A foggy rush hour


St Helen’s Church was barely visible at 8:51 this morning because of the fog.

Traffic queued back along West St Helen Street. A minibus – full of children with hi-viz vests – was on its way to school. They were probably late, as were the people going to work.

The traffic slowly moved over the iron bridge from Wilsham Road and Caldecott Road. Some cars turned on Wilsham Road to try to find an alternative route. But everybody seemed patient and resigned to being a bit late. They let others in at junctions, and there was no hysterical beeping of horns.

Within an hour, the road traffic and the fog had cleared. Children were at school, adults were at work, and the sky was blue.

The Abbey Gateway in February 2023

TheĀ  Abbey Gateway was built in the fifteenth century at the entrance to Abingdon Abbey.

In this view, the afternoon sun is shaded by bollards, an information sign, and people passing by.

They are watched over by the gargoyles, furry with algae and moss,

and grotesques with gouged-out eyes.

A gargoyle spouts water and gargles. A grotesque is grotesque.

The other side of the archway has a medieval vaulted ceiling where grey stone looks golden in places.

Three cranes


There are three large yellow cranes on theĀ  Abingdon School grounds. Contractors have demolished the Amey Theatre Conservatory and are using one crane to erect a new building known as Beech Court Pavilion alongside the Amey Theatre.

The other cranes are busy with other rebuild projects.

Abingdon School is set on extensive grounds in the centre of Abingdon and is conscious of being part of a larger community. Their Community Services web page at https://www.abingdon.org.uk/other-half/service-activities/the-role-of-community-service-at-abingdon/ explains more.