Author Archives: Backstreeter

Ongoing building work in Abingdon

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Building
The ex Vauxhall dealership – Bellinger – have almost completed their transformation into Churchill retirement apartments.
Building
Reserving Now signs have replaced Caution – Reversing Vehicles.
Building
The second half of the Fairacres redevelopment has metal cladding and a roof line that looks dead level from the car park side,
Building
and from Nuffield Way.

The old red pillar box has been kept in place during the demolition and building work. It is held up on a plug of concrete until building work is complete.

Peace Tree and Abingdon Camera Club

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Camera Club
The Radio 4 PM program today had a piece about 170 trees at Hiroshima that survived the atom bomb blast 75 years ago today.  Seedlings from those trees have been planted around the world to show there is hope – whatever.

There is a tree in the Abbey Grounds planted by the Abingdon Peace Group ‘in Memory of All Victims of War.’
Building
I met some members of Abingdon Camera club, gathering in the Cattle Market car park. They have been meeting virtually and their first physical meeting was to be in the Abbey Grounds. For Peter, who sometimes sends me pictures, this was his first outing since the start of the lockdown. If he sends me any pictures I will add them to this post.

The clouds were high in the sky, and the air was getting warmer after some cool cloudy days. Tomorrow is predicted to be hot.
Churchyard Cat
Sally sent me this picture of the peace vigil at the war memorial that morning. Peter sent pictures but we have a problem that they got bounced so I will try to find why.

The Abingdon Fire Service and N.F.S. No 15

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Markers
I am always interested to discover old Abingdon poems and verses and recently found a verse in a book on The Abingdon Fire Service (1871 – 1945) by John Hooke.

During WWII the Abingdon Fire Service helped in the national effort and went to faraway places to put out the fires after the Blitz bombing. They arrived in Coventry after a 60 mile journey. It was complete chaos. ‘See those Almshouses, Leslie, the incendiaries have only just started their work of destruction. We could put them out with a drop of water – but there is no water in the mains. Look out! A stick of bombs fall on the cross roads where we had been standing only seconds before, two firemen just disappear.’

Town fire services were nationalised for greater efficiency and central control and to ensure uniform standards. The Abingdon Fire Service became part of National Fire Service No 15 (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire).
Markers
Getting water appeared a problem for the fire service. In Abingdon a static water tank was put in the Market Square and at first was a mystery. A verse appeared in the North Berks Herald and is reprinted in the book …

A hole has appeared in the Market Square!
Now who in the deuce could have put it there?
Everyone is ‘hollering out’
And asking ‘What is it all about?’
The ‘whole thing’ seems extremely rum
Oh! is it an aquarium?
To give the girls and boys a start
At practising piscatorial art.
Or is it an act to surprise the nation
An archaeological excavation
By using subterranean measures
To expose some prehistoric treasures?
Or maybe a Lido they’ll install
(High diving from the old Town Hall!)
With bathing and basking in the sun
At weekends, or when work is done,
But that, we have no doubt, would send
The elders off at the deepest end
And give their brows a permanent frown
(With Victoria looking benignly down).
Someone says it’s for static water
And not a pond for your son and daughter.
If that be so it seems so queer
With Father Thames so very near.
Moreover the scheme appears unsound
With such a limited parking ground,
Unless to cater for the pranks
Of the latest type amphibious tanks!
‘Tis hoped material will be found
The whole contraption to surround
To keep the kids from falling in
Or else your troubles will begin
The fence should be a wooden paling
Or the salvage collector will be ‘railing.’
In time they’ll lay the mystery bare
And you, with me, the scheme will share
And then you’ll known why it is there
The cavity in the Market Square.

Possible new future for Old Abbey House – Thinking Caps On!

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The Vale of White Horse District Council have announced they are looking for a possible new future for Old Abbey House. They no longer need Old Abbey House and are looking for a new owner. It could be sold for housing, but they are also in discussions with the Friends of Abingdon Civic Society about community use.

Before closure, the larger part of the building was used by Abingdon Town Council, and the smaller part by Citizens Advice Abingdon.
Old Abbey House
The entrance foyer of the part used by Abingdon Town Council was home to the Abingdon Information Centre.
Old Abbey House
To the left of that was the council committee room.
Old Abbey House
Next to that was a wide wooden staircase, with a stained glass window, leading to four or five offices.
Old Abbey House
Behind the information centre, to the left, was the Mayor’s Parlour with an attractive bow window. The Mayor for 2013-14, Sam Bowring, can be seen entertaining some English Civil War reenactors.

To the right of the information desk were open plan offices, and the muniments room – holding old town documents.

The old citizens advice area had a separate entrance and was also divided into smaller rooms. From the outside that half of the building can be seen to need roof repairs.

Old Abbey House is not a listed building, but is in the heart of Abingdon. Its old garden, the Abbey Gardens, should remain for public use whatever happens. Everybody would be delighted if a viable community scheme comes forward for the building. If we all put our thinking caps on maybe we could come up with something.