I wondered how they were going to remove the crane from behind the Co-op: well

Kingerlee, the construction company, got an even bigger crane

and lifted the crane a part at a time. This is the biggest most-spectacular part.

They slowly moved it round, and lowered it carefully onto the back of lorry – less care and these pictures could have been far more spectacular.

One big question now remains – why have they bricked up all the shop windows.

The lady on the left won the second prize for the Spring into Abingdon local shopping promotion. The winner came from Wimbledon in London.

On the Market Place were stalls on the theme of recycling. At Added Ingredients you can take your own container to fill up with oils and balsamic vinegars.

At Frugal Food you can take your own container to fill up with Ecover washing products – as shown on the Carbon Cutters stall.

At Local Roots (here doing a demo of whirlygigs) you can buy local produce and possibly whirlygigs…

There’s usually a way through

Either on foot

or by bike. But what may be a bit of an adventure to me

is a disaster for the gardeners at Abingdon’s

Marcham Road allotments. Crops are underwater, sheds and outhouses flooded.

The fields around Tesco are also under water. Thats the River Ock on the left and the footpath on the right.

It is another summer flood, and another sign that we can expect more, and that Abingdon needs better flood protection. Either a flood relief area west of the A34, or an emergency drainage channel using the planned new canal.

A drama festival of one act plays has been running this week at the Unicorn Theatre. Three plays return for the final gala night in front of the Mayor of Abingdon, the Chair of the Vale, and Colin Dextor.

But on the penultimate evening a full theatre watched the Launton Village Players performing a real fun play within a play, centred on a bed, written by one of their number – “Well done Launton near Bicester“

and Stagelights did part of an Alan Ayckbourn Play – with some good strong characters – and return for the Gala night.

Well worth the £5 Tkts, but I would not guarantee there being any left for the final night.