Category Archives: Uncategorized

Potential Development Site for 170 dwellings east of Drayton Road, Abingdon

170 dwellings
Thanks to Hester for spotting this one in the Public Notices section of yesterday’s Abingdon herald. A company from near Bristol are looking to get planning permission for 170 dwellings off the Drayton Road near Virginia Way in South Abingdon. More detail of the exact location will be given at the public exhibition. If anyone knows more please leave a comment.

New Supermarket Trolley Retention System at Tesco

Trolley Scheme not 100% effective
At the Tesco Extra superstore just off the A34 in Abingdon a new system has been introduced to try to prevent supermarket trolleys being nicked. This is a long standing problem as many a trolley has ended up either in the River Ock or the River Thames.
Trolley Scheme not 100% effective
The new system means that customers put a £1 deposit into the trolley which is returned when the trolley is returned. The system appeared to be fairly new as a lot of customers were having to hunt around and ask other people if they had the £1 change.
Trolley Scheme not 100% effective
A Tesco trolley was seen this morning near the West St Helens Street Carpark minus the £1 deposit. But then no system involving supermarket trolleys can ever be totally foolproof.

Abingdon in the 1920s – Paddy challenges New Street

The Abingdon I Remember in 1920
This picture was taken looking up New Street towards the Vineyard.
The Abingdon I Remember in 1920
I was looking at the Abingdon Area Archaeological and Historical Society website yesterday, reading the transcript of a document called The ABINGDON I REMEMBER which describes Abingdon on an almost house by house basis around about 1920 and will be very interesting to lots of Abingdonians. It speaks of a short street on the left of the Vineyard called New Street, “locally known as ‘Little Hell’. This is owing to the belligerent character of the inhabitants of the 15 or so cottages which are, incredibly, packed into this tiny street.”

At the junction of The Vineyard and New Street I read of a local character called ‘Paddy’ who was “in the habit, when he had the wherewithal, of taking too much ale and roaring challenges in the direction of New Street, opposite.  The challenge was rarely refused, and some lively Saturday nights were a feature of local life.

Can anybody put a name to the author of this description of 1920’s Abingdon?