Wild blackberries are abundant around Abingdon this year. People have been out collecting them with bags and plastic containers.
Beside the Sustrans cycle path, outer branches had been trampled down to create a path into the heart of one large mound of brambles, but the blackberries in the picture were just out of reach.
Preliminary archaeological excavations are underway in the field in North Abingdon, belonging to Radley College, for which planning permission is being sought.
A number of trial trenches have been dug, guided by the findings of geophysical surveys, and as always in Abingdon there are the prospects that there will be the remains of some old structures down there. I believe the last time the field had any excavations it was part of a study by students at Radley College in the 1970s. If anybody can remember the year or has any pictures that would be interesting to know.
The Church of England Commissioners have approved the scheme to restructure the Parish of Abingdon, creating two parishes where there was one.
Christ Church is the Parish Centre for the newly created Parish of North Abingdon, to which Christ Church Long Furlong, and the Anglican part of The Peachcroft Christian Centre belong.
The newly created Parish of Abingdon-on-Thames comprises St Helens, St Nicolas and St Michael. These churches, to my perception, are more traditional while those in the north are more evangelical.
Discussion, consultation, and negotiation began back in 2007 to divide the parish of Abingdon in two.
The red line on the map shows to which church parish you now belong in a parochial council electoral voting sense. But there is no problem going to any church you like. You can even go to Oxford Cathedral if you like.
Around 50 different plans, some very imaginative and speculative, have been put forward to the government’s Airports Commission looking at airport expansion in the South East, and the leading ideas will be chosen later in the year.
Pleiade Architects from Bristol have come to the conclusion that the best location for the airport would be on the same site, near Abingdon, where plans have already been put forward for a reservoir, and a Garden City.
Pleiade Architects have put some thought into rejigging some airport plans that were previously worked on in 2003.
It appears that not everybody has taken their work seriously. On twitter I have read …
“It should regenerate the local taxi trade”
“It would bring people to the Abingdon, but isn’t it a bit extreme!”
“A large price to pay for a Marcham bypass.”