A petition with 160 signatures from South Abingdon residents was presented to the County Council transport committee last Thursday.

However it clashed with another much larger petition; that of a bus through Jericho Oxford. They had about 1000 signatures, and crammed 50 people into the room, and had lots of media coverage.

The chairman of the committee, Councillor David Robertson, said the Oxford Jericho bus was being kept, and there had been no need for them to all be there. “You could have stayed in bed!” the many elderly protestors were told. Councillor Robertson blamed unfounded rumours about the removal of the bus on the press and political speculation.

As to the 44 it got largely ignored, among all the noise. Molly, who organised the petition, is very disappointed and angry. She says the new service that replaces the 44 will not be so good. The Caldecott area of South Abingdon has lost the direct route to Oxford it always had. It will be more difficult for people to get to the new bus.

In the Guildhall this morning, people had gathered to celebrate all those people who do voluntary work in the community.

Not very far way, in the Market Place the Normandy Market had been set up.

The bread stall and the crepe stalls had the longest queues. The last time there was a Normany Market it was disrupted by torrential rain.

And at the far end of the precinct, the Town Council were doing a survey on what people thought of Town Council services (Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Poor).

In the last couple of days almost every house in Abingdon will have received a brown envelope which has their council tax bill and information from the council involved and police why they need the money.

Oxfordshire County Council (Conservative Party controlled) £1232.92
Thames Valley Police Authority (Not election controlled) £162.04
Vale of White Horse District Council (Lib-Dem Party Controlled) £118.82
Abingdon Parish Council (Lib-Dem Party controlled) £81.78

The tax pays for many local services including the weekly waste collection and recycle collection.

These two shops separated by half of Stert Street have taken on a very similar look. The first called “Added Ingredients” is a delicatessen and seller of continental food. The lady who runs it, currently chairs the Abingdon Chamber of Commerce.

Its neighbour further down the road called “& More Ingredients” sells pots, and pans and utensils for cooking, as well as some continental ingredients. This has been renamed and given a makeover recently to look like its namesake.