Author Archives: Backstreeter

Rascals, Rot and Ruin at Old Abbey House

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Old Abbey House
Old Abbey House has been unused and unoccupied since the town council and citizens advice moved out in 2014. The building was boarded up two years ago to stop vandalism, and rotating climb guards added more recently.
Old Abbey House
A lot of roof tiles are broken above the lower half of the building.
Old Abbey House
The roof on the higher part looks better, but mischief makers are still getting up there and causing damage.

Old Abbey House is owned by the Vale of the White Horse District Council. The Conservatives were in charge up to May 2019 and proposed using it as Social Housing. The Lib-Dems have been in charge since May 2019. They were putting together a strategy document about managing VWHDC buildings when the Coronavirus Pandemic struck.

Play areas to begin re-opening in the Vale

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Reopening
The Vale of White Horse District Council have announced a phased re-opening of their play areas beginning on Monday 6th July.
Reopening
Safety checks will need to be carried out to make sure equipment is safe for people to use, after being unused for over three months. The first play area to re-open will be at Abbey Meadow in Abingdon, followed by others across the town.

Visitors will be urged to stay safe by following a few simple instructions which are being introduced to reduce the risk of people transmitting COVID-19. People are asked to:
* wash or sanitise their hands before entering the play area and then again after they leave;
* come back at a quieter time, if the play area is busy;
* follow social distancing.
* The council is also asking that only one adult per child is in the play area at a time.

If anyone notices any issues with a Vale play area they are asked to report it by calling 01235 422404 or by emailing parks@southandvale.gov.uk. To report anti-social behaviour – call 101.
Reopening
About half the play parks in Abingdon are run by the Vale and half by Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council. Their re-opening will be managed separately.

Abingdon Hair, Pub and Restaurant Economy reopens

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Reopening
Barbers in Abingdon town centre re-opened today and there were queues outside some, and sanitiser inside.
Reopening
Most restaurants re-opened and many had a busy evening as people could eat out for the first time in over three months. They had social distancing signs and tables kept further apart than before.
Reopening
Pubs also reopened with social distancing measures and signs. Social distancing became more difficult after a couple of drinks.

Taxis were queueing in the hope that the Abingdon night economy was open again.

New Barber + Old News

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New Barber
A new barber is to open at the corner of Lombard Street and West St Helen Street.
New Barber
Newspapers from April 1st 2020 are still in the window. I thought nobody did April fools this year, but there is a Daily Mail picture of Prince Harry with a trolley load of toilet paper. Old news included:

Tough measures to clamp down on hoarders

Corona stops play: Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, Wimbledon’s off… 

No mass, family lunch or egg hunts… How the coronavirus finished off Easter celebrations for the first time in 2,000 years

Like so many medics I’m stuck at home with just a cough. This is madness: Dr MAX PEMBERTON blasts Government over lack of coronavirus testing for NHS workers.