Author Archives: Backstreeter

Abingdon Prepares for VE Day 80th Anniversary

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Tomorrow, Abingdon will commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day with displays and events in the town.

The Abingdon Bridge charity, based in the old Police Station, has Union Jack bunting and flags round its blue door. Its window reads “VE 80,”

Local shopfronts have also joined in. Helen & Douglas House, the Oxford-based children’s hospice charity, features mannequins dressed in red, white, and blue, accompanied by Union Jack flags.

Acacia, as always, has a colourful themed window display.

At The Shed, a Union Jack-themed window display includes cushions and teasets and a union jack fire guard.

In Bath Street, the two Masons have dressed their shopfronts in creative red white and blue fabrics, wools and ribbons. Both with the theme “VE Day 1945–2025.” Mason in Stert Street also has a good display.

At the centre of the commemorations, the Royal British Legion club has silhouettes of soldiers, giant poppies, and a large Union Jack, paying tribute to those who served from 1939 to 1945.

This is just a small sample. Abingdon is ready to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

Cattle Market Car Park Update

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The newly revamped Cattle Market Car Park opened recently and is looking smart with fresh tarmac, clearly painted lines, and brick-block parking bays.

One feature still to be completed is the rain garden. This will collect and filter rainwater runoff from the car park, preventing it from overwhelming the drainage channels. By filtering the water through soil and plants, the rain garden helps clean it before it reaches the water table. It will also enhance biodiversity in the area.

Why the Bells Were Ringing Today – Monday 5th May 2025

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If you heard the bells ringing at St Nicolas or St Helen’s in Abingdon today, it wasn’t for an early VE Day celebration. It was part of the Oxford Diocesan Bell Fund (ODBF) Ringing Day.

Bell ringers were visiting up to 26 towers across the old North Berks area, trying out the different bells. The teams were put together randomly, so as one experienced ringer told me, “It sounds rubbish!”

Each ringer paid £2 per tower (or £20 for a full day pass), and all the money goes towards maintaining and improving bells in the area.

I took a short video at St Nicolas. You can judge if the ringing is rubbish or not.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qGctQIkahoI

The proper bell ringers will be there on Thursday 8th May from 6:30 pm for the VE Day commemoration.

Tree Henge in Abbey Meadow

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Recent tree planting at Abbey Meadow in Abingdon has introduced a mix of native and non-native species aimed at enhancing biodiversity to provide habitat and food sources for wildlife.

Most notably, around 32 new Sequoia (Redwood) trees — possibly Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwoods) — were planted. These have been arranged in a large circle, with each tree spaced about twelve yards apart, forming what some local residents have begun calling ‘Tree Henge.’ I received an email from Nick about its sudden appearance; he noted that it seemed to have arrived without much public explanation.

There was, however, a press release from Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC), but it covered a broad range of biodiversity projects. With so much going on, it was easy to miss the specific mention of Tree Henge – a case of not seeing the Henge for the wood.

A wooden sign featuring a bird has also been put in nearby to explain why the area is being allowed to go wild. Similar signs have appeared in other rewilded spaces maintained by VWHDC.