Winter Sunset by the River Thames


Winter sunrises and sunsets are amazing! The sun hangs low in the sky, taking its time, making the show go on much longer. We had such a sunset yesterday.

The low sun gave an orange glow to water cascading at the weir

It cast an orange glow on the icy water of the cricket pitch.

And is seen here behind St Helen’s Church.

Unit 24 Gets Active from today


It was Monday Market on a frosty, sunny morning.

In Unit 24, Bury Street, the Active Communities team held a Drop-in Coffee and Chat session. There will be a session every Monday until 4th March. Different partners will provide activities. Today was art.

The Active Communities Team at Vale of White Horse District Council runs various weekly activities for all ages and abilities. Also, at Unit 24, On Wednesdays from 1 – 1.45 PM, there will be STRONG AND STABLE, seated exercises. Spaces are limited, and booking is via sarah.fountain@southandvale.gov.uk.

Other activities include:

Community Walks: These friendly short group walks take place in various locations around Abingdon, and are a great way to get some exercise and meet new people.

YouMove: This initiative provides free or low-cost activities for families across Oxfordshire, including swimming, sports, and arts and crafts.

More information on the Active Communities web page

Plan for land adjacent to Aldi


A developer has put in a new planning application for the land adjacent to the new Aldi on what was previously called the Circus Field in North Abingdon. This area had been marked for development in the Vale of White Horses District Council’s Local Plan to 2031, and it’s the last big chunk of Abingdon land on the plan that hasn’t already started being built on.

The plan is to build up to 40 houses, a day nursery, and a care home. The houses won’t be decided on yet, but there will be a mix of sizes, and some will be affordable. (This is an outline plan, and the details will follow). The day nursery will be two stories and have a garden. The care home will be three stories and also have a garden. (The nursey and care home plans are full plans). There will be new parking and a new road into the site from Copenhagen Drive. Three trees will be removed to make way for the road.

The plans can be seen and commented on at: https://data.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/java/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P23/V2861/O.

Abibinit Heroes help clear the Litter


The Abibinit litter pickers were in action this morning on the Ock Valley Walk, clearing away all the rubbish the floods left behind. They must have filled at least 20 bags! A big thanks to them, especially so soon after all the water chaos.

There are still some signs of the flooding, though. The river has some logs and fallen trees floating around. But the good news is there is now very little litter.