The Craft Festival is on from 17th – 20th and 23rd – 26th OCTOBER – 10am to 5pm – at the Medieval Abbey Buildings. There are 65 stalls in the first week, then some change over for the second.

Lime Tree Pantry with their handmade pies seem to be there every year.

John Kemp, English wines and liquers, was there from St Albans.

This fine display is of Mouse and Moon Fabric Sculptures.

That is some of the good stuff. Now for the not so good display : SOMEBODY has bumped into this wall and not stopped to tell the house owner.

The planning application for the Old Gaol development were published a week ago, and the Abingdon Herald has done a front page on it with the title: Gaol deal ‘should be renegotiated’. One of the factors on which the original decision was made was value for money. The newspaper reports that the district council will get less money for the site than when the developer was first chosen – before the credit crunch and the detailed plans, but the actual figures are not yet in the public domain.

Main points of the Old Gaol plan itself:

New vehicle access onto Bridge Street will be provided by demolishing part of the old Police Station (the picture is from the earlier model). The swimming pool building will also be demolished.

The plan sees the conversion of the Old Gaol to restaurants and apartments. It was to be restaurants and shops and apartments, but the developers have listened to local opinion, voiced back in January, and dropped the shops and added more restaurant space. There are three restaurants: one in the Old Gaol and one in each of the two buildings, pictured in front of the Old Gaol, on Bridge Street.

Other features of the plan include:

• a pedestrian walk way from East St Helen Street next to Twickenham House
• more apartments to the back
• underground parking
• public open space fronting the river
• the Bridge young peoples centre moves from cottages next to the river to part of the police station further up

You can see all the details on the Vale District Council Planning Web Site. ( www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk …. select planning applications… select view and comment on application online… then Application Search: 08/01238/LBC . )

The District Council are involved in this as vendors who chose this developer, and as the planning authority that decides the application, so that must add a complication.

Fabulous Flowers have an autumn display. Next door have moved on to do Christmas.

Still there is time to enjoy a few autumn leaves before it is too late. Here are some golden leaves, across the River Thames from The Old Anchor Inn,

and red trees from Rye Farm Car Park,

and a yellow tree between Healey Close and the River Ock.

Finally, Jeepers, Creepers! How big the creepers have grown – at the Albert Park!

This weekend is the Abingdon Craft Fair, and the Abingdon Marathon – good photo opportunities hopefully!

When over in Abingdon, Virginia, for the 230th anniversary celebrations, Pat, our Mayor, and several other visitors, were interviewed about life in the UK by this young lady – Claire, aged 9. She was working on her global awareness Girl Scout badge.

Claire was suprised so much was alike, and that children in the UK have the same games and toys – like Barbies, and enjoy the same things like computers and dance class. She heard about differences between the towns, such as the more readily available bus and rail services over here. In Abingdon, Virginia, properties are more spaced out, and there is far less public transport.

Claire found it funny that what she calls “hiking” we call “rambling.” (she lives close to the Appalachian Trail where hiking is big). To her “going to go raaahhmmbling” sounds much more romantic spoken in a British accent. (Thanks to her mum Leslie for most of the words here.)