Woolworths as Poundland ten years on

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Woolworths as Poundland
The BBC had a non-Brexit news story yesterday asking ‘What has happened to Woolworths’ stores 10 years after closure?‘ Checking back on this blog I can see the Woolworths closure was in December 2008.

The article goes on to say ‘Poundland owns the biggest number of ex-Woolworth premises’.
Woolworths as Poundland
Poundland took over the ex-Woolworths stores in Abingdon, but only after Cargo had run it for a couple of years.
Woolworths as Poundland
Poundland has been diversifying, and now have £2 sections, and £5 sections, and Pep & Co clothes.

They have many lines such as hardware, and CDs, and pic’n’mix and stationary that are not so very different from what you would have found in Woolworths. The big difference is that in Poundland there is no need for small change.

Radley Lakes – saved ten years ago

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Radley Lakes
I had an interesting walk round Thrupp and Bullfield lakes yesterday, following the well marked circular tour, picturing the scenery and some of the birds on a sunny autumn afternoon.
Radley Lakes
The lake, once threatened with being filled with ash from Didcot Power Station, was saved thanks to   a campaign group called Save Radley Lakes, chaired by Basil Crowley, who sadly is no longer with us. The group’s campaigners were very well known in Abingdon, running their fund raising tombolas on the Market Place. Their campaigning ideas not only got into the Abingdon Herald but also national newspapers in a David v Goliath conflict. Then in 2008, ten years ago, Npower gave Thrupp Lake to the community for nature conservation.
Radley Lakes
It is now looked after by the Earth Trust.
Radley Lakes
The hide at the bottom end got burned down, and has now been replaced with a wicker fence with holes though which you can look. Being an out of the way place, with wooden buildings, there have been occasional acts of vandalism.
Radley Lakes
In 2008 a new organisation, The Friends of Radley Lakes was established to help raise funds and look after the lake, and work with the Earth Trust. The Friends have their AGM on Friday  at 7:30 at  Peachcroft Christian Centre with an illustrated talk: “The Birds of Radley Lakes” by Ben Carpenter.
Radley Lakes
This is a picture of another large Radley lake, one that did get filled with ash from Didcot Power Station. For about ten years it was surrounded by a high fence. But now the trees have taken over and the fence is down.

Memorial Plaque, Grommit, and Tailoring

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He died for freedom and honour
Peter sent me this picture last weekend. It was a medal displayed in the window of  Art and Stuff, which is near the war memorial in Abingdon.

Such medals were given to the families of servicemen killed in WW1, and known as Memorial Plaques. The name of the serviceman is displayed beneath a laurel crown held by Britannia, with a British Lion alongside. Two dolphins represent British sea power, and below a second lion mauls an eagle.
He died for freedom and honour
Anybody who has been into Art and Stuff will know Grommit, who lets his owner know when anybody has come into the shop.

Oenone, his owner, was telling me all that information about the medal, and about some other finds from WWI that were on display. She is a fount of information when it comes to antiques and art stuff.
He died for freedom and honour
But when it came to nearby businesses in Bath Street I could tell her something she did not know. There is a new tailoring service, with a sewing machinist, next to Masons.

Hear the People’s Voices

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Hear the Peoples Voices
This evening in Abingdon there was a concert that combined folk singing and the history of the struggle of ordinary people for justice, equality and freedom. The concert was performed by the Sea Green Singers, based in Oxford and with seven people from Abingdon.
Hear the Peoples Voices
The first song came from the Peasant’s Revolt in 1381 – an early protest movement where the leaders were executed. There followed songs from the Diggers, and the Levellers through to Peterloo.

Songs gave us a people’s history lesson and took us at the end of the first half to the Chartist movement whose aim was to gain political rights for the ordinary people. The video above is the singing of the Chartist Anthem.
Hear the Peoples Voices
In the second half we heard protest songs from the start of the industrial revolution and Tolpuddle Martyrs, right up to the Greenham Common protests and the miners strikes.

Then at the end we were reminded that the struggle still goes on for many ordinary people. Money raised from the concert goes towards Host Abingdon.