The picture was taken last night. At lunchtime today the community shop was full of children and parents.

During half term Abingdon’s Children’s Centres (north and south) joined together to put on events at the community shop.

The Children’s Centres always have a lot going on to help young families – particularly those who have not been given the best start in life.

Oxfordshire County Council have been holding public meetings locally in: Banbury, Oxford, Wantage, Didcot and Witney – trying to gauge the public mood for possible cost cutting measures. They say a further £60m of savings are needed this year from their annual budget.

One of their cost saving proposals is to shut the vast majority of Oxfordshire’s Children Centres.

The Prime Minister, who lives in Witney, and who is responsible for reducing Oxfordshire’s annual government grant, is against that idea.

Summer may be over but thanks to this report by Rob we can experience it again …

The West End Allotment Association – the site’s just the other side of the A34 – held its second summer barbecue on 7th September. On a bright and breezy afternoon over 40 members, relatives and friends enjoyed delicious food, local beer and soft drinks, and the chance to meet & chat to other allotment-holders.

Derrick and Margaret, both professional chefs, treated us to delicious food – pork, sausages, burgers and much more …

Roy shows his appreciation of Jane’s courgette cake.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was the chance to don a bee-suit and visit Ed’s bee-hive, recently installed on one side of the site and producing a great honey harvest this year. It was only the children who volunteered!

Radio Witney has already taken off. Local radio stations do work in this age of the world wide web .

Mark from Radio AbingdonXtra was there at the recent music in the park.

The radio station has two regular DJs producing programs that can be listened to at any time on-line. Sam Colmer has been creating a weekly program featuring music from local bands for some time. He has been joined by Stuart Brackley doing programs about the music he is passionate about: blues and soul. Both sound very good and there are impending plans for more programs.

The Nag’s Head is now provided the main sponsorship which will give the radio station a licence to play main stream music 24X7 over the internet.

But to make this radio station unique to Abingdon, they need, between the music, local content which only community groups and societies and people can provide. They need features where local people go in and talk, and make podcasts (short digital programs) about what they care about.