Most of the people were drinking coffee at tables round Abingdon’s Market Place this morning.

OCVA were recruiting volunteers for a variety of ventures. The Sea Cadets were also looking for enthusiastic helpers.

The large clarinet section of Abingdon Concert Band were playing and the Town Crier was there to promote them and other town events on behalf of the Mayor. Just a normal Saturday morning on the Market Place in Abingdon-on-Thames.

Town Criers are getting better and better at projecting their voices from the County Hall Roof – something I don’t remember happening before the refurbishment and reopening last year. It always get a cheer.

There were flowers waiting at the County Hall this morning.

A motorcade of MG cars brought the Mayor of Abingdon to the County Hall for the re-opening of the Museum.

Alongside the Mayor is Martha Howe-Douglas from the Children’s TV program : Horrible Histories, and Julie Mayhew-Archer, the chairman of the County Hall Museum Committee.

Both Mayor and Martha cut the ribbon. Children bought history books to be signed.

The museum lift can now take people down to the cellar but not yet up to most of the museum (pictures to follow in a day or so). The iconic building itself has been saved and restored and set up for the next 50-100 years, and the museum is now warm, and protected from the elements with more available, better, space for exhibits.

There is still work to be done to allow some people to enjoy the museum – like a mum who would like to go up with her children.

Thanks to Maggie for this picture of one of the new museum signs, and people relaxing outside Throwing Buns last Saturday. Throwing Buns will also be running Buns in The Basement, the new cafe in the County Hall cellar.

Museum re-opening day is this coming Saturday. The Mayor of Abingdon and Martha Howe-Douglas, star of TV show ‘Horrible Histories’, are to reopen the museum on Saturday at 12 noon.

Maggie also sent me pictures of the Open Gardens event put on last Saturday by the Friends of the Museum to help raise funds towards the  County Hall Museum redevelopment. Three gardens were open in East St Helen Street. The fund raising done by the Friends has been an essential part of the process. Their hard work and commitment has shown the kind of community involvement needed to get money from bigger sponsors like the National Lottery.

Before getting to the magnificent lighting of the Old County Hall I should perhaps mention the lift.

This was the reason the County Hall project started in the first place – to give access to people who could not get up the stairs. That was before maintenance of the fabric became a major concern.

Unfortunately the lift designs failed to impress English Heritage (or Private Eye for that matter) and a less ambitious lift to the undercroft and basement was put in instead. One of the panes of glass is already cracked.

The lighting on the other hand looks magnificent, as is all the paving, roofing and flooring.

Along the walkways round the building are a number of pavement level up-lights.

The lighting engineers should get an award.

As should all the local craftsmen involved.