Author Archives: Backstreeter

Anyone for Croquet?

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Thankyou to Lesley for this… ‘If you have never played before why not try our Taster Day for Golf Croquet. It’s a great game. If you are interested in joining us please see the poster …’
Croquet

Thames Valley Croquet Club is a Golf Croquet Club based at the Abbey Vale Cricket Ground (Hales & Hays Meadow) who meet twice a week on Mondays and Fridays all year round. They were formed in 1990 at the WI college in Marcham, and moved to the Cricket Club so that men and women will have equal access.

Croquet
I see that a ladies croquet club was started up in 1921 and two lawns provided at the Albert Park in Abingdon. (From the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette – Saturday 14 May 1921. Image © Successor rightsholder unknown. Found in britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.)

News From Bury Street

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Bury Street
Pablo Lounge opened yesterday in the premises that used to be New Look. The builders have been kitting it out for the last month or so and it looks jolly colorful inside.

New Look in Abingdon is not in the list of shops to be closed as the chain tries to turn round their finances. 60 from 600 shops are to close.
Bury Street
However Thomas Cook in Abingdon have closed their Abingdon shop as part of a closure of 50 from 690 stores. You can still find them in Wantage.

Old Gaol – change of use planning application

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Old Gaol
A planning application P18/V0492/FUL has been submitted for the Old Gaol ground floor.

Originally in 2008 when Cranbourne Homes became the successful bidder, against other schemes, the complex included two restaurants and a shop. The public feedback back than in 2008 was that there were a number of empty shops in Abingdon and so the plans were changed to three restaurants.

One restaurant area became a Costa. The other two are still vacant and, according to the planning application, the letting agent says ‘that larger multiple restaurant chains have not bought into the location of The Old Gaol …’ So the management company have put in a planning application for a change of use. This would involve converting one restaurant space into flats, and running the other themselves as a cafe / wine bar.

Abingdon & Witney College kick off National Apprenticeship Week with regional award win

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Abingdon & Witney College
Abingdon & Witney College have been recognised as the leading apprenticeship provider in the South of England at the inaugural Annual Apprenticeship Awards.

The awards took place at a reception at the House of Commons, sponsored by the chair of the education select committee Robert Halfon, kicking off the celebrations at the start of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW).

Support has flooded in since the announcement was made on Monday afternoon. Robert Courts, MP for Witney & West Oxon, was at the event to ‘celebrate all the great things that companies and apprentices are doing all over West Oxfordshire’ and commended the College, whilst MP for Oxford West & Abingdon, Layla Moran also offered her congratulations.

Di Batchelor, Principal at the College, said: ‘We can’t overstate the value of this kind of award and the recognition it brings to the College as a premier provider of high quality apprenticeships.’