Category Archives: Uncategorized

Sweeney Todd


Board A at Abingdon Library has this Sweeney Todd display for this week. The production of the Sondheim musical by The Abingdon Operatic Society starts at the Amey Theatre today, and carries on through Halloween.

Their website has in bold writing… PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PRODUCTION IS NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN.

In Victorian England, Sweeney Todd has just escaped from the penal colonies having been convicted for a crime he did not commit. The former barber has only one thing on his mind ― cold revenge against the corrupt judge who framed him, ruined his wife and stole his daughter to raise as his own. Teaming up with the dazzlingly demented Mrs Lovett, a struggling baker of meat pies, the “Demon Barber of Fleet Street” cooks up an hilariously macabre revenge scheme that fulfils both their needs in very unexpected ways!

Mama Mia Italian Market


The Italian Market did NOT bring the Italian weather with them – just an assortment of bread, pastries, olives, biscuits, sweets, cheeses and cooked meats.

It was called the ‘Mama Mia‘ Italian Market, but when I walked through, and back a bit later, nobody was singing Abba Hits – not even..

Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man’s world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man’s world


Over the way in St Nics, all the Abingdon Artist paintings on display, were on sale for just £35. Just two months to Christmas and, according to government statistics, the recession has not lifted here in the UK, unlike most of Europe …

Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It’s a rich man’s world

Dunmore By-Election


Julia Bricknell and Dr Evan Harris are seen here on the River Stert with a team of local volunteers.

Julia was elected yesterday, as possibly the youngest ever Abingdon Councillor (at age 21) – by residents of Dunmore Ward in a By-election. Dr Evan Harris MP will face the voters of Abingdon and Oxford West next May in the national election.

Here, in Julia’s Ward, is a typical street scene – looking across the Dunmore Road peripheral road, where the Breakaway Club van is parked, towards DearLove Close. I am ashamed to say having done this blog for nearly four years that I didn’t even know there was a DearLove Close until a week ago.

I looked it up in John McGowan’s book ‘The Origins of the Street Names of Abingdon’ and it says ‘The name DearLove Close was probably given by the developer in 1964. No other information is available.’ I was hoping it would have a good story. Something like… It comes from the Anglo-Saxon Deorlaf = Dear or Precious Relic. During excavation to make this Close a gold Saxon Love token was found.