At 8 P.M traffic was queued back to St Helens Wharf. This picture is taken five minutes later on the High Street.

Traffic has been fairly bad most evenings this week.

There has already been a post about Abingdon Road, Oxford. And now its the turn of Oxford Road, Abingdon.

There is the same bus connecting the two roads. This X3 is drawing up to pick up Oxford bound passengers.

There is a pub called The Ox. During the summer it has a beautiful garden at the front.

Visitors can stay at The Oxford Guest House. Convenient for people wanting to also visit Oxford.

This young man left Oxford by bus, with a bag of books on his back, and some juggling clubs. Here he twirls the clubs down the Oxford Road.

Wharf Cottage is the smaller of the two buildings beyond the boat chandlery. It overlooks the River Thames on Wilsham Road, not far from St Helens Wharf.

I suspect that in a year it will be looking a bit more beefy, like its recently beefed up neighbour. A planning application has been submitted for Wharf Cottage.

1972 was the year of Glam rock: T-Rex, Garry Glitter, Slade, David Bowie, Sweet, and Elton John. 1972 was also the year that Caldecott House was replaced by St Amand Drive. On the outer curve of the St Amand Drive (cresent) you find detached houses like the first two pictured.

And on the inner curve are terraces of three story houses that have roof tiles that come down like a knight’s visor.

Branching off St Amand Drive are other roads named after former occupants of Caldecott House (Bailie and Musson), and of early Town Clerks (Godfrey and Sympson).

There is also Thurston Close where this house is being extended. The gardens on the northern edge of the estate are huge, and run all the way to the River Ock.

Finally, there are the little green and wooded areas where younger children play. All protected by the long wall that runs along Caldecott Road.

St Amand Drive is named after Lord Almaric St. Amand, the one time owner of the manor of St Helens. He once owned much of the land to the South of Abingdon. Lord Almaric donated land to build the Long Alley almshouses.

Lord Almaric St. Amand is a great name to grace the year of glam rock: 1972.