Author Archives: Backstreeter

Armistice Day remembered + thankyou for poppies for those who fell

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An Armistice Day Act of Remembrance was held at the Abingdon War Memorial at 11 am today, as well as many other places in Abingdon.

Armistice Day is remembered each year on November 11th to mark the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany in Compiègne, France, for the end of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I. It came into force at eleven am on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918.

The event was attended by the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Andy Foulsham, other councillors, members of the Royal British Legion, and among the public, a group from Thameside School.

Clare Oldfield, poppy appeal organiser, said, ‘I spotted poppies like these these on the doorsteps of various houses in Exbourne road, Bath Street and Ock Street. What a wonderful thing to wake up to. Isn’t Abingdon amazing? Support for the poppy has been overwhelming this year and this is a fabulous tribute. I don’t know who did them but thank you.’

The Exbourne Road poppies are up again and poppy sellers will be out and about in the town centre, Waitrose and Tesco on Friday and Saturday.

Aldi Plan on Wootton Road Approved

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The VWHDC (Vale of White Horse District Council) planning committee unanimously approved the application for an Aldi store on the Wootton Road.

Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council supported the application as did local councillors speaking at the meeting. 290 people wrote in supporting the application. 13 were against.

The main advantage to locals is a large store nearer north Abingdon and Whitecross and Wootton, which should cut down on the need to travel, and could cut down on traffic round Abingdon.

The main concerns were cycling and access. The current cycle path is used by school children coming from Wootton, and area, and will not be expanded to the recommended width for such a development. The cycle path will also be impeded by the new store junctions. The right turn out of the store could also cause queues.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby said this development does mean a change of policy for VWHDC who in recent years have ensured new supermarkets were built in town centres, not out of town, for reasons of town centre vitality. The empty Peacock store in Abingdon town centre could be expanded to 929 sq.m (currently 738 sq.m). The new Aldi is 1,315 sq.m.

First Christmas Lights turned on

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The Christmas Lights have been turned on in Bury Street.

There is no Christmas Extravaganza this year. The Abingdon-on-Thames Chamber of Commerce organised the event in previous years. Their website says they are no longer organising local excellence markets / extravaganza. It took all their time and did not leave much time to carry out business related activities.

There will be a Christmas Craft Market on Saturday 4th December. Local excellence markets (including this) are now organised by the Abingdon Events Partnership.