Up Victoria Road there were warnings of ‘SLOW WET TAR’ and ‘NO PARKING SAT 28 FEB’

and along Bostock Road ‘NO ROAD MARKINGS.’

Here is just some of the Slow Wet Tar getting spread at the unmarked junction of Bostock Road and Mullard Way.

The road up to St Michael’s Church had by then already been tarred – apart from a small area near the top.

This evening half of Preston Road Community Centre had been booked for a consultation on The Vale’s Local Development Framework Plan. It was not enough.

By the start of the meeting, the room inside was packed and people started to wait outside until the other half of the hall became free.

An independent consultant was there to record people’s views as part of a report to be presented to the Vale. The presentation was given a second time to those who had waited outside.

Everybody then took part in round table discussions.

Why all the interest? 1500 new houses could be built in South Abingdon: an area of traffic congestion, and of flooding; and an area with a lack of amenities. People saw those 1500 houses making the problems of traffic and flooding in the area worse. There were big doubts about a proposed new road round the area.

They are finally getting there. The pavement has been narrowed and the road widened to allow more dual queueing at the top end of Stratton Way.

The works have been delayed a little – what with all the snow and ice we have been having. Unexpected holes have appeared in roads all over Oxfordshire. I nearly lost a wheel down one in Kennington.

We still make pancakes using a traditional Delia Smith recipe.

(Shrove Tuesday was once a time to use up eggs and fat before Ash Wednesday – the start of Lent.)