Ivor Fields was once the main Camera shop in Abingdon, and then along came the modern looking ‘That Camera Place’. Both have closed down. I noticed for the first time this morning that ‘That Camera Place’ was gone and in its place on the Market Place, a new Jessops Shop is being kitted out.

So now we have Jessops and Klick

With the help of a brochure called Abingdon on Thames published and Copyrighted by the Vale District Council in May 2004, I shall try to explain the Abingdon Coat of Arms.

* The green shield and four small crosses and knight’s helmet come from the arms of the Fraternity of the Holy Cross.
* The large gold cross comes from the arms of Abingdon Abbey.
* A crown above represents local government
* A stags head represents Berkshire (Abingdon’s County until 1974)
* Swans represent the River Thames
* The left swan holds a Tudor rose for Mary who granted Abingdon’s first Royal Charter (1556). Its saxon crown represents the town’s saxon ancestry and it stands on a woolpack to show the long sheep farming and wool trading tradition.
* The right swan holds barley for the tradition of malting and brewing. It stands on a book for Abingdon’s leather (Pavlova) book binding and printing industry. The rope is for rope making, and its crown comes from the time of Edward the confessor and Abingdon Abbey.
* The blue wings represent the Abingdon RAF base (that was, and is now Dalton army barracks)
* The lightening for the nearby atomic energy research centre.

FAITH AND INDUSTRY (the motto): The word Faith is for the Abbey and the Church in Abingdon, and Industry is for all these aforementioned industires and more modern ones like cars (MG) and virus protection (Sophos).

The first young tree is dedicated to John Jones O.B.E Freeman of Abingdon and Lucca. At the dedication ceremony, the last part of the hole was patted level by his widow Jean, who lives in one of those flats on the far bank of the Ock. This tree has been planted at the town end of the Ock Valley Walk, and the flats behind are Cygnet Court.

The next two trees are in the Albert Park with Albert in the background. Those cages have been put round them by Christs Hospital, the ancient charity that runs the park.

The final three young trees were put in recently to replace some felled chestnut trees near the bottom of Caldecott Road. Only the middle of the three is still standing. The other two are broken off.

There is something in todays society doesn’t let young trees grow.

Hermann Rorschach (1884-1922) developed inkblots, which subsequently got used for personality tests. I have begun to wonder whether the character of a place can be seen in the way its outline has grown and been constrained.

This is the current outline of Abingdon. So what do people see in the shape?