Boxing Day – Entering Covid-19 Tier four and Floods round Abingdon

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Boxing Day Floods
Oxfordshire went into Covid-19 tier four today. Under tier four, non-essential shops, gyms, hairdressers and indoor entertainment venues must close. This meant that Boxing Day Sales could not go ahead at Fatface.
Boxing Day Floods
The traditional Boxing Day MG gathering on the Market Place was also missing.
Boxing Day Floods
Water levels continued to rise during Christmas Day. By Boxing Day, anybody out for a walk round Abingdon could not complete a circular walk as the return path was underwater.
Boxing Day Floods
People were struggling with boats. Some were banging pegs into firmer ground.
Boxing Day Floods
Others were adjusting ropes to get the boat level.
Boxing Day Floods
In Rye Farm Car Park some unfortunate car owners will have found their cars underwater.
Boxing Day Floods
Flood tourists came to see the floods in Abingdon.
Boxing Day Floods
The new flood prevention wall near St Helen’s Mill may have stopped water flowing in from the banks, but  water had welled up some other way.

South Abingdon Illuminations – Happy Christmas

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South Abingdon Illuminations
This Christmas Eve we had more time than usual, and went for a walk round the South Abingdon illuminations. The River Thames had grown as water poured down from the River Ock and other tributaries.
Weather for Ducks
We headed first up Saxton Road which is well lit at Christmas.
South Abingdon Illuminations
If anything there were more lights than usual.
South Abingdon Illuminations
Then we headed over to the Tithe Farm Estate where there were far more lights than usual.
South Abingdon Illuminations
There was a mixture of advent windows and outside lights.
South Abingdon Illuminations
Next we headed across to Medlicott Drive on the Ladygrove Estate. That short road has more lights per property than any road in Abingdon.
South Abingdon Illuminations
Plants and bare winter trees are festooned with multi-coloured lights.

Walking home, it felt cold. The moon and stars shone clearly above.

We did miss some of the usual Christmas Eve traditions, but did catch a recording of the St Helen’s Christingle Service.

Christmas Day will be quieter with less people. I wish you all a Happy and Peaceful Christmas.

Reports from the White Horse District Council but no Christmas Quackers

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Anyone whose green wheelie bin day should have been emptied on Friday 25th will have to wait until Tuesday 29th because Friday 25th is Christmas Day. I found that out on the White Horse DC website.
Weather for Ducks
The web site also has a news release from 22nd December, titled Cabinet decision on Old Abbey House accepted by watchdog. The decision on the future of Old Abbey House was made on 4th December and will not be announced until the new year. The Council’s Scrutiny Committee found on 15th December the process to be fair, and no information was unduly kept from the public and they asked for complete transparency in communicating the decision where possible.

The council also have New Covid-19 grants available now for pubs.

We are asked to Protect friends and family this Christmas and help stop the spread of Covid-19 and so there will be no great Christmas getaway this year.
Weather for Ducks
A lot of people have already finished work for Christmas, but key workers in the health service and care homes work throughout.
Weather for Ducks
The mid winter so far has been bleak because of the national news but not frosty. There were snowdrops outside Old Abbey House today.
Weather for Ducks
There was a lot of rain today, and somebody said to me that it was lovely weather for ducks. Curious as to whether it really was so lovely I went to ask a couple. I did not get a reply – not a single quack. I have no Christmas quackers to report this year.

Winter Solstice and Jupiter+Saturn not seen from Abingdon Market Place

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Solstice
At 8 am the Abingdon Monday Market  was ready for customers. The morning started cloudy with light rain. There was not much chance of seeing the sun rise on the Winter Solstice.

This morning we learned that a lot of countries had blocked entry to UK people and lorries after the news that a more contagious strain of Covid-19 has taken hold here. There were suggestions that if the blockade continued then fresh produce from the continent would be in short supply.

There was a large queue outside Waitrose most of the morning.
Solstice
At 4 pm the sky was overcast and there was not any chance of seeing the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the South West. The only star visible was on the Christmas Tree.
SolsticeGifts and Gallery has 50% off. They have been in Abingdon since 1985 and, sadly, will be closing on Christmas Eve.