The Movies Video Rental on Ock Street is to close for good on 30th April. “The Movies” has been around for at least fifteen years. It means we have lost two video /DVD /Computer games rental shops since the start of the year.

More recently, and only a few hundred yards down Ock Street, a new rental outlet “Movie Zone” opened and closed within the year. The owner said when he opened the shop that there were a lot of people living in easy walking distance of his shop – because of new housing. But it didn’t work out .

The multi-story car-park is a recent (1970ish) addition to the town centre skyline. The Vale has decided to give it a £320,000 refurbishment and prolong its usefulness.

I expect level 8 will get a touch of paint.

Outside, the carpark is unlikely to change much. It will retain the same redbrick facade as the other Charter buildings – all built about the same time: library, Malthouse surgery, day-centre, and social services.

Currently the stairwells are rather grim and dark, open all hours and subject to vandalism. It is planned that new gates will be put up so that only the lower two levels are open for 24 hours, and the place lightened up, and car parking levels re-organised.

The top floor already gives a good view of the surroundings, and is the one part that is almost scenic. This too will be given a new protective surface. Even concrete and steel erodes if left to the elements.

There was a man in town today with a large St George cross on his front. He complained that Abingdon had no St George flag flying above the civic buildings, on England’s special day. There were some flying outside a couple of the pubs, and a house in Saxton Road had two flags. Anyway, the man cheered up when he heard there was a parade.

It was a very impressive parade. I would estimate there were thirty different troops of scouts, guides, cub, brownies, sea-scouts and air cadets. The marched round Abbey Close from the Cattle Market Car Park to the Guildhall where they saluted the Mayor and the Chair of the Vale.

My son was in Oxford, and told me that a parade of Oxford scouts coming over Magdelene bridge were stopped by the police and after arguments sent back.

Somebody has been playing alphabetic games with the Ock Mill sign…

You can see the Travel Inn behind the wall. It was built a couple of years ago. And now we have the new nursing home next to that (previous blog). There is also a brand new planning application (application 06/00343/FUL) between the nursing home and the Motorcycle Centre for Four storey residential development of one & two bedroom and studio flats with parking for twelve cars. It is for the same development company as brought us the nursing home.

Up until about fifteen years ago, the Ock Mill lay derelict. Alongside, were uncared for fields which locals assumed were flood plain.

But the Beefeater chain bought up the Mill, refurbished it, and the rest is history.

In the early 1990s, The Ock Mill was popular with young familes because the portions were large, and there were very reasonably priced Mr Men Meals for the children – including an activity pack with crayons and badges and puzzle sheets. Then a few years ago, the management went up market. They renamed themselves “Out and Out”, and introduced smaller more sophisticated portions.

Now its back to being a proper Beefeater Restaurant again with larger portions. However, there is not so much room for a bouncy castle in the back garden anymore since the Travel Inn was built round the back.