The British Heart Foundation have love notes in the window, love notes written on hearts.

The inscribed stones and cobbles, shown yesterday, mainly refer to aspects of Abingdon’s past…

The Alleyway with the stones lead into Neave Mews – named after Airey Neave, the M.P for Abingdon until 1979. ‘Public Servant Secret Agent’ is a biography that tells ‘The Elusive Life and Violent Death of Airey Neave‘

March 30, 1979 was a sad day in British politics – the Irish National Liberation Army murdered Airey Neave in a car bomb attack inside the House of Commons parking lot and concluded one of the most remarkable political stories of the 20th century. During World War II, Neave escaped from Colditz and became an intelligence agent eventually serving at the Nuremberg Trials. He was also Margaret Thatcher’s campaign manager when she became the first female leader of the Conservative Party.

Beer and Books. Could be taken 2 ways. The monks brewed beer and copied books or it may simply be a reference to the modern industries of brewing and printing. Morlands was probably still functioning when the development was conceived.

‘A vicarage house with orchard+ garden mounted round with a stone wall… Refers to a house known as the Vicarage House which once stood on the corner of St Edmund’s Lane and West St Helen Street NB St Helen’s Church did not have a vicarage until 1874.

Why ‘Today + Tomorrow’? Can’t really explain the significance of this. Perhaps because other stones refer to the past and this one refers to the new road looking to the future.

‘Twenty hides – a gift from Cissa – by gravel terrace three rivers meet – two swans rise’? This was the land Cissa granted to his nephew for the founding of the monastery. Abingdon sits on the a gravel terrace, and the three rivers that meet here are the Stert, Ock and Thames. There are 2 swans on the town’s coat of arms granted in 1958. The Abbott may have been entitled to keep a pair of swans on the river – usually a royal prerogative.

‘Faith + Industry’ is the motto on the Abingdon Town Council coat of arms

Sister and brother, 7th century Saxons. Cilla said to have founded nunnery “Helenstowe” on/near site later occupied by St Helen’s Church.

Less of a miscellany, this time round, and more a set of engraved pavement stones… nethertheless, see what you know, and I’ll give you John and Jackie’s answers tomorrow.

The stones with the questions are all to be found down this public secret alleyway. Who is the ‘Public Servant Secret Agent’?

Why ‘Beer and Books’ to start with?

What means this riddle… ‘A vicarage house with orchard+ garden mounted round with a stone wall’.

Why ‘Today + Tomorrow’?

What means this riddle… ‘Twenty hides – a gift from Cissa – by gravel terrace three rivers meet – two swans rise’?

Why ‘Faith + Industry’?

Why ‘Cilla + Hean’ – also featured in the 1st Miscellany so what are they?

Anybody who has read the Abingdon Herald will have seen that the Snowdop is ‘Plant of the Week’. This group are in the Abbey Gardens. The Herald says snowdrops are a little late this year because of all the snow.

There was even a flurry of snow overnight, but having wrapped themselves up tight the snowdrops have survived to brighten up another day.