Somebody did comment recently they’d like to have a forum to discuss Abingdon issues like the traffic system.

There is a new forum and its name is posted on many shop windows in the town centre. Its Action 4 Abingdon. The people organising it have even undertaken an independent traffic survey to take to the County Council.

I sometimes think that West St Helen Street acts like a barometer measuring the pressure of traffic through town. When things are getting bad in the High Street it has an even more dramatic effect on West St Helen Street because people can’t get out. Today was a relatively calm day and the traffic barometer stayed at a calm level.

It was not a fair in the usual sense. The flood fair at the Guildhall was a chance to see a variety of flood protection devices.

There was the Geodesign or ‘Pallet Barrier’, a large barrier that protects an area. It is the self acclaimed “21st century alternative to the humble sandbag“.

There were also devices people could get installed themselves: barriers, and flood shields round doors, back flow valves for toilets, smart air bricks etc. etc….

The national flood forum ( a charity set up by people who have been flooded to help other people who get flooded) had a stall offering advice …

as did VWHDC and the Environment Agency (EA). Both had a very similar picture showing just how many streams feed into the River Ock and then into the Thames. The EA stall holder did say they were still looking at the flood capture area west of the A34. Hopefully it will make enough of a difference to be worth doing.

The new footbridge works got waterlogged a couple of weeks ago.

But is progressing again now. It will cross between the Riverside development and the Abbey Meadows.

Just a few of the Feb flowers in the Albert Park. There are

too many to be counted in places, but most are small spindly specimens.

There are also snow drops, and the first daffodils.

They don’t seem up to fluttering and dancing in the breeze yet. They can barely manage a nod. They’ve been woken up too early.