Abingdon Silver Group plaque presented to museum

Leave a reply


The Abingdon Silver Group (ASG) have designed their own mark for members to stamp their work. A plaque bearing a larger and smaller version of the mark was presented by John Huddleston to Abingdon County Hall Museum today to form part of the museum collection. Two punches bearing the mark were manufactured (one by the London Assay Office) in 2022.

The group could not find evidence of a mark from an Abingdon silver guild from earlier times, so they based the mark on members’ suggestions. The design uses the Abingdon shield and cross with the group’s initials and a crescent moon – the alchemical symbol for silver.

The group meets most Wednesday evenings during the year at John Mason School – see abingdonsilvergroup.org.uk. The group provides members with a working environment, specialist tools, advice and tuition.

Town flag at half mast and other happenings in town

Leave a reply


The town flag is at half mast as a mark of respect. The Town Council website has announced that Councillor Ulrike Rowbottom has passed away. She was elected in 2019 as a councillor for Dunmore Ward and continued her work until her death. Sympathies to her friends and family.

Smoke was seen from a mobility scooter in Poundland, and the fire alarm was raised. Fire engines, police cars, and ambulances arrived, and the area was cordoned off over lunchtime while the situation was assessed and made safe.

The traffic lights over Abingdon Bridge have been removed so that part of the work has been completed ahead of schedule. The car park is closed, and the pontoon remains for bridge maintenance.

Call for Tesco, Whitbread and Hilton Groups to finance flood alleviation measures

10 Replies

The River Ock and the associated Sandford Brook again burst their banks. Flooding was avoided in many homes in South Abingdon in Oxfordshire, England, thanks to the natural floodplains. Although it was a worrying time for Abingdon residents living close to the Ock, the Tesco superstore on Marcham Road was most seriously affected. It closed when the entire car park and access roads were flooded. Future floods will also affect the Premier Inn and could cause its evacuation.



The River Ock flood waters have gone down. The first three pictures picture were on Sunday.

Here is the scene today on the Ock Valley Walk, Monday.

There is some damage to pathways and trees.

Malcolm Moor of the South Abingdon Floodplain Action Group wrote to me to say, ‘Since the Abingdon Tesco Superstore opened in 1982 it has been one of Tesco’s most lucrative stores nationally. As well as contributing to the local economy, the massive footprint of the store and its car park in the floodplain of the River Ock have contributed to the severity of flooding in Abingdon on a number of occasions, so perhaps it is now time for Tesco to make a significant financial contribution to the Environment Agency to help in implementing effective flood alleviation measures for the town that has contributed so much to Tesco’s profits. To worsen the Abingdon flood situation, the Premier Inn has now also been built in the Ock floodplain, so a contribution to flood mitigation measures from the Whitbread and Hilton Groups would also be welcome to demonstrate their civic responsibility.’

Abingdon Tesco closed because of flooding

6 Replies


This morning, the heavy rain from Friday along the River Ock valley had flooded the Tesco car park and access roads.

This store was closed, and shop workers were sent home.

Part of the new Premier Inn car park has also flooded, but the building is above the water.

The water also approached the gardens and houses of the Ladygrove estate.

This picture was taken at around noon today, near the peak. People were still checking the water level, hoping there would be no repeat of 2007.

There had been a dramatic rise in water levels overnight, which peaked at around noon. (Thanks to the EA monitoring station https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/station/7081).