Too Beautiful to Survive

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Lily Shelter
Last time I went to Radley Lakes there was a notice from the Earth Trust saying they were assessing the damage to see whether it was worth attempting to repair the beautiful Lily Shelter.
Lily Shelter
It was built in August 2010 and has survived three winters, and has been used as a shelter and bird hide, often by young people who have treated it well.

But then it just takes one or two, of any age, to ruin things for everybody else – as happens in life.
Lily Shelter
We returned there today and can assume it was not worth repairing, and then re-repairing.

Authentic Greek Dishes Now in Abingdon

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Exciting Changes
There was an announcement on Kitsons website to say they were closing for a short while but that exciting changes were underway. On reopening the name Kitsons had gone, replaced with The O lives Restaurant. They serve authentic Greek dishes, grills, and fish dishes.

The entrance to this elegant upstairs restaurant, with historic beams, is next to Coffee Aroma on Abingdon High Street.

Large houses turning into small houses

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These neighbouring houses on the Marcham Road are currently used for education. The buildings are too big for your average family home and so have found other uses – first business and now education. But as the need for housing grows they could become housing again on a smaller scale.
House 1
The one that was the Radcliffe Publishing Company until two years ago now houses a nursery. That nursery moved in 2012 from another large house not far away on the Faringdon Road in Abingdon. Before the plans for the nursery the landlords had previously got planning permission to change the house to flats with smaller units of housing behind. I don’t know if that will happen now the nursery has moved in, but it could be still an option.
House 2
Next door is a school described as ‘Outstanding’ by Oftsed for young students with dyslexia.

The Landlord has recently obtained planning permission to convert that particular house back to housing, with extra housing behind.

But that will not happen quite yet. The school had the painters in over summer. And the school has an agreement with the landlord that they can stay until they find somewhere better. But the growing demand for housing means that large houses like these two have the option to become houses again – split up into flats hiding new small houses behind.

Summer’s lease hath all too short a date

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Summer is almost over and schools are going back. The holidays began well and the Abingdon Outdoor Pool became very popular until the second week of August when the weather became more typically mixed.
Blooms
The blooms in Abingdon this summer have added colour as they always do, thanks to the town and district councils who still see them as important.
Blooms
Nothing very different from previous summers with a mixtures of hanging baskets
Blooms
and flowers beds. It has been pointed out by some that there are no blooms in the Abbey Shopping Centre this year. That would be for Scottish Widows to decide as they run the precinct.
Blooms
One bed that was different this year was near the Outdoor Pool – planted by the Carbon Cutters with flowers to feed bees. I took a picture of it being planted on the day the Open Air Pool opened. Today was the last chance for a swim in the outdoor pool and the sunflowers have fed lots of bees.