Author Archives: Backstreeter

Some wildlife is doing well


Cow parsley skirts the River Thames opposite the Old Anchor Inn.

Downstream from Abingdon, the riverbank is covered with flowers. Cow parsley grows just about anywhere. Then, as you walk further, a yellow flower takes over as the dominant plant.

The yellow flowers could well be self-seeded oil seed rape, although I can’t remember these particular fields having grown such a crop. They were grown two or three fields away.

There are sparrows flitting and chirping on the riverbank.

The mallard is the commonest, most widespread,  duck in Abingdon and you have a good chance of seeing mallards just about everywhere. They are most at home on or near the river, but can sometimes be seen in the strangest of places, like supermarket forecourts.

May Bank Holiday on the river


Visitors and locals enjoyed a sunny Bank Holiday Monday by the River Thames in Abingdon.

AV Boats
opened for the first time in Abingdon on the 5th May 2021 and are hiring out: motor boats, rowing boats, kayaks and canoes, and paddle boards.

Here is one of the AV motor boats next to one of their standup peddle-boards near the bridge.

There were lots of different boats on the river.

Quick catch up


A new coffee outlet has opened in what was the TSB Bank. Missing Bean have been in Oxford since 2009 and they have now opened in Abingdon and will also open in Banbury. They are an independent company who work directly with farmers and pay a fair price for the coffee they produce. They also roast their own coffee in East Oxford.

Nightlife has returned to Abingdon with pubs and restaurants open inside since May 21st.

The museum has also re-opened. Bookings can be made at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/visit-abingdon-museum-tickets-112962584130.

The Abingdon town flag is flying at half mast on the County Hall roof. The town council web site says that Mrs Rhoda (Sue) Crane has passed away at the age of 95. She served as the Mayor of Abingdon in 1993/94.

The Local Excellence Market was on yesterday (Saturday), with the zero-waste coffee event.

There were also some stalls on the Market Place today (unusual for Sunday).

The hoarding round Old Abbey House has been painted blue.

P.S. We were away for much of May and this is a quick catch up of things noticed today.

Abingdon Branch talk


Thomas is organising a an illustrated talk by Ivan Cadge on the history of the Abingdon branch line with all proceeds going to NHS charities. The talk is on the 5th of June at 4pm. Tickets are available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/abingdon-history-club.

The Old Abingdon facebook page has more information https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4482799158431757&id=551653821546330&sfnsn=scwspmo

The 2½ mile branch ran from Radley Station to Abingdon between 1856 and 1984. Abingdon Station had one platform, open to the road. In 1956, when the article was published, the 2½ mile journey took 5 minutes. A tank engine would push and pull the single carriage. There were 16 return trips on weekdays, and three on Sunday evenings.