The Abbey Meadows Open Air pool opened for the new season this morning, and the water was a warm and enticing 29ºC. Seen here are a family, who moved to Abingdon just three weeks ago – about to enjoy their first swim. Next to them is Dr Peter Harbour of Friends of the Outdoor Pool.

The pool will be more popular with the higher temperatures. And from July 4th, swimming lessons will move to the Outdoor Pool while the White Horse Leisure Centre pool is re-furbished.

Nearby, in the Carpark, and back for the new season, was the Coffee Cube. It is also to be seen at other places round Abingdon such as near the Stratton Way bus stops.

Mr Whippy is also there, making everyday a Sundae.

Crazy golf, pitch and put, and tennis courts are also open, as is the play area and splash pad. This will be the last year to play crazy golf, and tennis, as the play area is to be extended.

Last year the Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC) asked residents how they thought £500,000 should be spent to improve the Abbey Meadows. There were three schemes, but only one involved keeping the outdoor pool. The consultation turned into a campaign to keep the outdoor pool, and people voted overwhelmingly in favour of the option with the outdoor pool. So the pool is staying but does not appear to be having any major investment.

The money will be spent as follows:

• The pool building will get a face-lift and new public toilets will be provided.
• There will be a new changing room for the splash area.
• The play area will be upgraded to create two adventure playgrounds, one for younger children and another for older children – replacing the crazy golf.
• The tennis courts are to be replaced with a new multi-use games area.
• New picnic tables and seating will be added near the river.

Total cost £610,000 – £570,000 comes from the Vale of White Horse District Council, and £45,000 from the Old Gaol development.

Work on the new play areas and the swimming pool building is expected to start this autumn and be completed in spring 2017, but some of the smaller improvements will happen earlier in the year.

Before that, in 2016:

• The outdoor pool will be open between 28 May and 4 September.
• The splash pad will be turned on each day from 9am until 7pm also between 28 May and 4 September.
• The tennis court, crazy golf and pitch and putt are available every day between 11am and 6pm during the summer holiday, on bank holiday weekends, and during weekends from 11 June.

The six week deadline notice, attached to the railings of Old Abbey House, has been removed in the last 24 hours.

It notified community groups that they had six weeks to register an interest in taking over the property. They would then have been given four and a half months to put together a bid.

If there have been no expressions of interest, Old Abbey House will be put back on the market by the Vale of White Horse District Council as ‘surplus to requirements’.

So could the gardens – an integral part of the Green Flag Award winning Abbey Gardens – one day be shut off from public access?