Saturday in town: Beer Festival, Rotary, Missionaries, and Carousel

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The Town Crier, Penny Clover, was on the Market Place, announcing that the Abingdon Beer Festival is on this weekend in the Abbey Buildings.

Entry is free, and the festival is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Cider, Wine, Food and music from local bands also feature during the festival.

On the Market Place representing Abingdon Rotary was David Pope. He told me that the most important letter in the word altruism was not I but U. Doing things for others motivates Rotarians. Not I but You.

Penny and David were there in a non-political capacity, but both, as active members of the local community, have decided to stand as candidates for the town council.

Seeing some people open-air preaching on the Market Place was also interesting. I spoke to one, and he said he had been a Hindu but converted to Christianity ten years ago. In the past, England sent missionaries over to India, and now we have missionaries of Indian descent preaching in England. They come from a church in Heddington whose members are mostly of Indian descent.

Another important Abingdon event at the moment is Carousel by Abingdon Operatic. There are tickets for the last show this evening.

Building works in South Abingdon

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The Premier Inn on Marcham Road is watertight. Work to install lifts and electricals is progressing inside. Aluminium-coloured cladding has been added to the external walls of the first and second storeys. The building replaces the Tesco Garden Centre.

The new flats near Hartwells, off Drayton Road, are also watertight. A channel to provide services has been dug, and the top of the buildings has been decorated with wood cladding. This building replaces Ladygrove Cottage.

Foundations have been dug for another 8 flats on Drayton Road. The flats replace the Poplars, a house with stone lions on the gateposts and some vigorous pampas grass.

Pruned at both ends

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The plane trees along St Helen’s Wharf have their branches pruned back to almost nothing every few years, but they don’t seem to mind and slowly grow back. From time to time, their roots crack and lift the asphalt pavement until the council notices and marks the offending roots

and gets them pruned and covered with fresh tarmac. But they will be back.

Nominations for Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council

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I live in the Abbey Ward and so far have had a visit from one candidate, Cheryl Briggs, the Green Candidate. Looking at the list of candidates for the Abbey Ward, no Conservatives are contesting the two seats. Normally Lib-Dems and Conservatives would contest every seat.

Even stranger is that in Northcourt Ward, the two Lib-Dem candidates will get in without a vote. Nobody else has stood.

For the 19 town council seats, there are:
18 Lib-Dems
7 Conservatives
6 Labour
2 Greens
1 Independent

The one independent is Charlie Birks, who resigned as a Lib-Dem, about six months ago. The current Mayor, Cllr Andy Foulsham is not standing again for the town council. Neither is the leader of the council, Cllr Sam Bowring.

If you look at candidates for the district council, with 10 Abingdon seats, there are:
10 Lib-Dems
10 Conservatives
7 Labour
3 Greens