Abingdon Vehicles Meet Mini-Me Buildings

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Unit 24 – The Community Space (Bury Street) is now showing vehicles made and painted by Abingdon Artists  placed in front of the Abingdon buildings they made last year for Heritage Open Days. This year’s heritage theme, Routes – Networks – Connections, has inspired the new creations.

To mark its 180th anniversary the Old Ticket Office at Culham will be opening to the public over Heritage Weekend (Saturday 14 September and Sunday 15 September) between 09:00 and 17:00. This will provide an opportunity to see inside an original Brunel designed station building.

The railway line to Culham passes relatively close to Abingdon. Trains pass over the River Thames near the Thames Path and beside the footpath leading via Swift Ditch to Clifton Hampden. Network Rail completed repairs to the Nuneham Viaduct around a year ago after it was closed in April 2023 due to structural issues. You can see the repaired south bank in this picture.

A visit to the One Planet Abingdon Climate Emergency Centre

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Yesterday (Saturday), a team of volunteer mechanics offered free bike health checks in the space under Abingdon Museum. This happens under the auspices of One Planet Abingdon from 10:30 to 13:00 on the third Saturday of each month.

In the basement, in the the One Planet Abingdon Climate Emergency Centre, John Killick stands with the Biodiversity Exhibition. He offers Biodiversity tours round St Ethelwold’s Garden. Protecting and restoring land for the benefit of people and wildlife is one of the ten parts of the One Planet Living Framework. (See https://oneplanet.com/about/one-planet-living-framework/).

Another volunteer used their skills in massage to promote Health and Wellbeing, another part of the framework.

Carol had done a cooking course with One Planet Abingdon, and afterwards has made a blanket which will be raffled to raise money for the centre.

Similar to how people can send cards to people on Amnesty International fact sheets, there is a chance to send cards in solidarity with those in prison for our planet.

Steve’s ‘Exotic’ Garden in 2024

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I am grateful to Carol for letting us know about Steve’s open garden (poster shown on the blog last week). In the front garden, unusual varieties of plants were for sale, including a Rice Paper plant.

The back garden is very well planned with its walkways, streams, and pond. The exotic plants make you think for a moment that you have been transported far from Abingdon. But typical Abingdon sponge cakes and cups of tea were being served by Steve’s mum. Proceeds and donations went to charities.

Steve started creating the garden when he bought the house in 2009. He was there to answer questions such as, ‘how do you protect the plants during the winter?’ One year the garden was featured on TV and he had visitors from all over the country. This year some return visitors came from the Isle of Wight and thought that the trees were taller and the effect even more tropical.

On the way back from Steve’s garden, we passed another interesting garden over the road: Springfield Drive.

A Tribute to Anne Smart

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Anne Smart, a champion for the environment and her community, was remembered at a memorial gathering today.

The large turnout at Long Furlong Community Centre showed what an impact Anne had on peoples lives. Her work with Abingdon Cuts Plastic, AbiBinit, and the Abingdon Carbon Cutters has left a legacy in Abingdon.

Those who knew her best, said how Anne was not just a passionate advocate and leader but also kind and compassionate and full of humour. Her dedication to her community, from her early days as a nurse to her later role as a social worker, was shared by some.

Anne’s loss is felt by those who knew her best. Family and friends were very important to her.

But in Abingdon, her commitment to improving the environment will be missed. One way to honour her memory is to continue her work.

Donations at the end of the memorial gathering went to Sobell House, and the Abingdon Carbon Cutters.