These are the Offices of the Vale Housing Association in the Vineyard. They manage the social housing that used to belong to the Vale of White Horse District Council.

Over recent days I have noticed that vehicles and offices have begun showing the Sovereign Vale sign.

In 2008 members of the Vale Housing Association voted to join the Sovereign Housing Group, and become part of a larger group with more influence and economies of scale.

At about 12:15 my daughter ran into the house after a bit of lunchtime sun bathing. She said she had just seen something strange. It was like a disc shaped shadow moving across the clouds but when the disc got to blue sky she could see nothing until it passed the next cloud.

Her theory was that she had just witnessed an invisible UFO that cast a shadow.

The photo above is my attempt to recreate the phenomenon, so don’t take it as proof. But…

there have been a lot of UFO sightings around Abingdon over recent weeks and years… A google search found 86,500. So she is not alone.

In December 2005 the Thresher Group acquired 200 liquidated Unwins stores including two in Abingdon. They were rebranded as ‘The Local’.

Now the Thresher Group are facing uncertain times. Some stores are being shut. The Local in the Vineyard has a closing down sale. The Local in Ock Street will remain.

Many cities and town centres are supported by one or more Chaplains.

They offer a safe, independent, listening ear as they walk about the town and visit the people in the shops and nearby businesses.

Tonight the Abingdon Town Centre Chaplaincy was launched at St Nics – on the Market Place.