Many thanks to Alex for sending me this picture of the official opening of the County Hall Museum. The Royal personage who unveiled the plaque was Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester. The last time The Duke of Gloucester visited Abingdon was for the opening of the Resource and Wellbeing Centre in October 2010. I didn’t get a picture of him on that occasion either.
I was looking back through the archives for a picture of the weir/lock keeper and found this one of him working hard at the weir in July 2007 in the aftermath of a huge deluge.
He is to retire this month. The name tag was still there last weekend but will soon be gone.
The refurbishment of Abingdon Lock is nearly complete for whoever takes over next, if there is to be a live in lock keeper.
Between 1959 and 1974, twelve of Handel’s operas, some unseen since the composer’s lifetime, were performed at the Unicorn Theatre. To help celebrate 60 years of the Unicorn there is another Handel Opera, namely Semele. Check out the seating plan and go to the Unicorn Opera Link for date and prices. H5 and H6 will be the best seats in my opinion.
Dunmore Pre-school has been running since 1967 and in 1998 they purchased a new (but second hand) building which is now a little worse for wear. They are raising funds to buy a new building. £10.00 per team to enter their charity quiz at The Kings Head and Bell in Abingdon. Wed 13th March 2013 19:30 – 21:30. Email: administrator@dunmorepreschool.co.uk. The picture above was taken in 2011.
And at Preston Road Community Centre this Saturday there is a Table Top Sale on behalf of the Caldecott Forest School. Advert seen in the Honey Pot.
The sun has been shining and river levels are back to normal.
I noticed for the first time today that fences have been erected near Abingdon Bridge with notices warning of unstable banks.
A hole has developed at one point, but the fence is quite extensive, and has reduced the amount of free mooring.
There was another hole in the tarmac path just the other side of the bridge last spring, which got repaired, and there is still the hole in St Helen’s Wharf awaiting repairs.
On this old postcard (I have a copy but not the copyright) the River Thames looks barely navigable near Abingdon Lock with all the small islands and the moldering banks. If there were nobody to maintain the river I guess it might revert to such a state within a couple of generations.