The post box outside the Ock Street sorting office used to be a familiar Elizabeth II pillar box — part of a classic cylindrical design stretching back to Victorian times.

Currently, however, it is wrapped in black plastic.

The same thing happened to the Waitrose post box in Abingdon, before Christmas. When it emerged from its wrapping it had gained a solar panel, barcode scanner, and drop-down compartment for parcels, along with a slot for letters.

The change shows how postal trade has moved from letters to parcels as a result of online shopping and returns. Now the Great British post box has a double-purpose. It can take letters, but can also process parcels. This is an entry to City Daily Photo’s February Theme Day – DOUBLE.

Recognising the value of benches for walkers, and walking as part of a healthy lifestyle, Healthy Abingdon, have created an interactive map showing all the benches in Abingdon. The map is available on the Healthy Abingdon website under benches (https://healthyabingdon.org.uk/benches.htm). With a few clicks, people can locate the nearest bench, allowing them to find a place to rest or plot a route.

The map also acts as a record of the distribution of benches across Abingdon, which is far from uniform. Parks, riverbanks, and the town centre are well-endowed with benches. The new Abbey Fields development (above) also has fifteen benches along its walkways as well as several picnic tables.

Amongst the benches, a few stand out. Some benches are dedicated to people, such as the one for Audrey Hasnip outside the Guildhall unveiled in April 2021. Audrey was the Mayor of Abingdon from 1999-2000, and a long-standing geography teacher at John Mason School as well as doing various other voluntary roles such as singing in St Helen’s choir.

The longest seat (I’m not sure it is bench) is round a tree near the charter. It could hold around 48 people simultaneously.

The new pedestrian lights, installed near the Aldi store on the Wootton Road a couple of months ago, have been turned on. Pedestrians from the Kings Gate estate now have a safe crossing. The lights may also help traffic turning right out of the Aldi and Kings Gate junctions.

On Sunday, at around noon, pedestrian lights on Ock Street were not working. A burglar alarm siren screamed on Ock Street. More burglar alarms were shrieking through the brewery development. When we got home, the clock on the oven was blinking. There had been a power cut.

Oxfordshire County Council have been investing in new street lights, in a bid to save money on energy bills and reduce CO2 emissions.

As part of a 5 year, £5 million contract, the contractor will upgrade 35,000 streetlights and illuminated signs with LED lighting.

They are also replacing old lampposts. This week has seen new lampposts along Wilsham Road and along the lower half of  Preston Road and Saxton Road.

The new LED street lights in Wilsham Road produce the same river view at night using about 75% less energy than the old fluorescent bulbs. LEDs produce very little heat, unlike fluorescent bulbs, which burn about 80% of their energy as heat.