Category Archives: Uncategorized

Michaelmas festivities – late this year

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Street Fair
This blog often receives comments about the traditional Abingdon Street Fair.

Some commenters argues that it causes disruption and should be put somewhere less disruptive – like in a field outside the town centre. Other people comment, ironically, that it is the only time when the Abingdon traffic system works.

But this year I got a different complaint – NOT that the fair is in the wrong place, BUT that the fair is on the wrong date.

An Abingdonian – born and bred – argued that the Abingdon Street Fair is also the traditional Abingdon Michaelmas Fair. Michaelmas – the Feast of Saints Michael the Archangel – falls on 29th September. So the Fair should be on the Monday and Tuesday after Michaelmas – not a week later.

So are we in Abingdon taking the Michaelmas festivities too far from their traditional meaning?

From an Abingdon Town Council meeting

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Pilings going in
A specialist firm is driving in pilings round what will be the lift at the rear of the County Hall. The hot weather continues and will do for a few days more. And this evening there was a meeting of Abingdon Town Council. I have gathered the points I found of interest from the meeting. I hope councillors can correct any points that I misheard. My hearing is not brilliant at times …

  • Abingdon Town Council unanimously supported a Fair Trade resolution.
  • Ex Lib-Dem Councillor Janet Morgan is to be made a Freeman of Abingdon at a ceremony on the 5th November.
  • £15K from the £20K playground improvement budget for this year is to be used instead on putting in salt bins round town.
  • It is proposed that Caldecott Rec and Boxhill Walk woods and park are designated as Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Parks in 2012. The government are looking to create 2,012 such QEJ parks. About 600 have been put forward so far, and Abingdon Town Council would add two more.
  • Since the Town Council has not always got the resources to paint over grafitti on bus shelters, the Community Payback scheme will be asked to help.
  • The council is to spend £30K on a feasibility study on improving the modern part of the Guildhall.
  • The Town Council will budget £25K on the Jubilee celebrations next June.
  • The new area for ashes at the cemetery will use a system for interring remains called Sanctum 2000 which involves holding caskets in vaults above ground.
  • The Mayor enlisted bowls players, rather than the usual volunteer councillors, in the annual Mayor of Abingdon v Lord Mayor of Oxford’s bowls tournament, and Abingdon won the trophy. Apparently Oxford have this practise anyway and it needed evening up.
  • At the next Town Council meeting, in a couple of months time, the Mayor would like to propose changing the name of Abingdon to Abingdon-On-Thames.

Playbus and Mobile Skate Park in Reynolds Way Car Park

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South Abingdon Fun Day
When SARP started planning this fun day a few weeks ago they were thinking to ask the Playbus and a climbing wall.
South Abingdon Fun Day
The climbing wall did not come off and so the three mums who have been petitioning and working for a skate park in South Abingdon suggested a mobile skate park.
South Abingdon Fun Day
It so happens the playbus people also do a mobile skate park.
South Abingdon Fun Day
The day’s event was really set up to get opinions from people about how they want to see South Abingdon develop. Neil Boston, to the left, chairs the organising group SARP. Sandy Lovatt, the Leader of Abingdon Town Council, came to see what was happening.
South Abingdon Fun Day
There were various other groups involved. The Abingdon RFU Under 9 team gave a display. The Abingdon  Vineyard Church laid on refreshments. Abingdon Youth Football Club were there. South Abingdon Children’s Centre helped.

The Playbus was very popular. But afterwards the kids were asking us when can they have the mobile skate park again. The three mums may try it again – possibly at the baseball court in Southern Town Park. But what they want is something more permanent.

Trip Hazard on Thames Street

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Thames Street
Before Heritage day I had to do risk assessments on activities we were planning. There are risks you can create yourself like a gazebo on a windy day that is not weighted down, and there are risks that are there already that you can’t do much about except warn people.

Thames Street is very picturesque.
Thames Street
but over on the side by the river, where people have no real reason to go apart from to admire the view, or see the new Heritage information board, there is the worst pavement in Abingdon.

You have been warned.