International Police Association visit Abingdon

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International Police Association
The Thames Valley branch of the International Police Association (IPA) were having a walk and meal together in Abingon-on-Thames today.International Police Association
“Servo per Amikeco” in Esperanto means “Serve through Friendship.”

The IPA is the biggest Police Association in the World with almost 420,000 members. The Thames Valley branch includes police officers (on active duty or retired) from the Thames Valley and the Metropolitan Police Service. The IPA was founded on 1st January 1950 because a police sergeant from Lincolnshire, England, Arthur Troop, wanted to create a channel for friendship and international co-operation amongst police officers, after the war.

One of the members was telling me he had recently visited police colleagues in Hungary, and will be going to Portugal later this year. They also have local social events. The chairman of the local association lives in Abingdon.

Oxfam Farmyard Window – Says Thankyou

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Thanks to Jo Adams (Oxfam Volunteer) for this report
Oxfam Farmyards
Passing by, you might wonder why the shop window of Oxfam on Stert Street, Abingdon has turned into a farmyard, featuring a small calf and a large chicken ? It’s there to say a big Thank You to all the Oxfam customers over the Christmas and New Year Period who donated money to the appeal to buy Farmyards for families living in poverty. From seeds and tools for growing crops, to animals that produce manure, this gift helps farmers get what they need to earn a living as well as training them in sustainable techniques.

In fact, the people of Abingdon were so generous that we raised money for four farmyards, not just one which was the original aim. So thank you – not just from everyone at the Oxfam Shop, but also from all those farmers who will benefit.

The Children’s Air Ambulance shop opens

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Childrens Air Ambulance shop
The Children’s Air Ambulance shop was completing the fitting of the shop  over the weekend.
Childrens Air Ambulance shop
The window displays look smart – like a boutique.
Childrens Air Ambulance shop
On Monday the shop opened. It uses the premises previously used by Outdoor Traders.

The Children’s Air Ambulance is an air ambulance charity that transfers critically ill children from hospitals to specialist paediatric centres.

Special Abingdon Parish Meeting to discuss the Guildhall

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Special Abingdon Parish Meeting
11 residents had requested a special Parish meeting to discuss the Guildhall, and the meeting took place this evening at the Roysse Room. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the usage of the much larger Abbey Hall, the only civic space in Abingdon large enough to hold such public meetings, and to discuss accessibility plans for the older part of the Guildhall.

The large Abbey Hall has been closed for about three years. It was initially closed while the Town Council considered tenders for its redevelopment. The assumption was that the redevelopment would go ahead that year. However an election happened at that point, and the council membership changed. We heard for the first time this evening that one tender came in at £3m and another  $4m. And so the Town Council looked at ways to reduce the scope of the project, and the Abbey Hall remained closed while that happened. There followed another round of consultants and architects and planning under a new Guildhall Chairman.

The council then gave up on that plan, about the time the Town Council leader changed. It cost an annual subsidy of £200k to keep the Guildhall complex open. They than began speaking to Oxfordshire County Council about putting the Abbey Hall into the review of County Council public places, and now expect something exciting to come out of that review for Abingdon.

So the town council are now concentrating on the older part of the building, and using the £1.2m legacy, given by the District Council with the Guildhall, on just the old rooms.
Special Abingdon Parish Meeting
This evening the Roysse room was not large enough for the number of people who came.
Special Abingdon Parish Meeting
About 60 people were not allowed in. That included some of the 11 who had requested the meeting.
Special Abingdon Parish Meeting
So there will be a second meeting next Monday for anybody who could not get in.

During the meeting, The Mayor, Councillor Jan Morter, read out a release from the Town Council, prepared for the meeting, that you can read here. She then added that Evesham Regal are looking to negotiate terms to run a cinema in the Abbey Hall, and manage other events people want holding there, and help the council finances at the same time. That would be until Oxfordshire County Council want to use it for whatever exciting plans they have after their review of places. The Town Council have not had the chance to discuss that offer yet but it was interesting news.

Then people were allowed to ask questions or make statements, first about the Abbey Hall, then on accessibility plans for the old part. However the Town Council could give no answers to the meeting. They needed to give the answers full consideration in council before giving answers.

Many points were made but it was news to hear that The Regal, Evesham, think they can run a cinema and re-open the Abbey Hall and help the council finances.

The pictures above do make the point that Abingdon does needs a public room for civic events to hold more than 80 people.
Special Abingdon Parish Meeting
Another point made by a number of people was that splitting the Guildhall into the old and the new part created accessibility problems in the old part. The Abbey Hall did have 2 ramps and 2 lifts to try to make it accessible. The last person to speak said ‘The Abbey Hall may be a 1960’s carbuncle but we still want to use it!’