Today we saw the election of the Mayor of Ock Street – the Squire of the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers. The day began with Morris Dancing round about Abingdon.

Late morning, some of the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers performed inside Old Station House for the 102nd birthday party of Mrs Hyde, the widow of Jack Hyde, a one time Morris Dancer and Bagman. A bagman is the keeper of the bag – that is to say, the side’s funds and equipment.

They also picked up an old boy Leslie Argyle, Mayor of Ock Street for many years

As well as dancing outside many pubs, and at the Market Place, and under the County Hall, the Morris dancers danced for the annual party of the Abingdon Almshouses.

where they also danced round a tree planted in memory of another former bagman, Tony Russell.

Tony’s wife Isabel was there to watch and hold the Morris Dog.

As to the election itself, Roger Cox, was re-elected as Mayor of Ock Street with an increased majority.

The Mayor of Abingdon, Monica Lovatt, took part in the count, and presented the honours.

Roger was then carried in state up and down Ock Street and just for a few minutes the traffic had to wait for tradition.

Also taking part in the festivities, from the Vale of White Horse, were the Vale Islanders who dress and dance in a style that predates road traffic.

Also visiting from Derbyshire were the very colourful Winster Morrismen with their equivalent to the Mayor of Ock Street – a mock Queen and King, who inspected the troups and who were in turn treated with great honour during the dances.

JD Wetherspoons have put in a planning application for a change of use of 25 High Street

from post office to public house.

Planned hours of opening are 7 am to 1:30 am.

The proposed seating area for customers extends into what was the old sorting office and so is about three times the size of the area where we used to queue for stamps.

Wetherspoons say in their application that this change will “increase shopper/visitor footfall in this part of town and re-introduce life and vibrancy to a prominent building that is currently a ‘dead’ unit.”

The full plans are at … VWHDC Planning

On Tuesday I had the pleasure of walking the length of Radley Road. The single bus fare from Radley Station to Abingdon is £2:10. It was not raining and so I saved the money and enjoyed an interesting walk.

Radley Road has the distinction of having the longest section of residential housing in Abingdon without house numbers. For most of the way along the left hand side houses don’t have numbers. Thay have names like… Francissi, Jolibe, Rottingdean, The Shambles, Upwey, The Red House …

Over the other side every house has a number. A few also have names but not a lot. Even the Radley Road Stores has a large ‘191 Radley Road’ sign above the door.

It has to be said that the side without numbers has a lot of green space, and schools. As a result the houses are well spaced out. Perhaps that is the reason they managed to avoid being numbered along with the rest of Abingdon.

Some time back Abingdon School dropped the School on their school signs.

Their website, abingdon.org.uk , says things like …  Abingdon is a leading independent day and boarding school with 885 boys…

Also what was Coventry Building Society, as seen on the photo fronting the County Hall,

is now The Coventry.

School and Building Society have gone for boldness in their brand name. In both cases I prefer the old name.

The official name change from Abingdon to Abingdon-on-Thames was voted through on Thursday. The Town Council have started to update their front page details on abingdon.gov.uk to say things like ‘Welcome to Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council … and Abingdon-on-Thames Visitor Community Information Centre …‘

In my heart, despite the official name change, I just want to keep saying Abingdon not Abingdon-on-Thames here on this blog.  That may change as I get used to the new name, but I suspect I will always prefer the name Abingdon to Abingdon-on-Thames and could not give a good reason.