Wooden Bridges in Need of Repair

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Walking by the River Ock today, I noticed that three of the wooden footbridges had issues.

The first bridge had damaged railings, which had already been reported on Fix My Street. Both the district and county councils have been informed. However, responsibility for this weir bridge lies between two sections of the Ock Valley Walk, with one section managed by the town council and the other by the Vale of White Horse District Council.

The second bridge has been fastened with orange barriers, a temporary fix that is functional but not attractive.

The third bridge is missing a slat, which isn’t immediately obvious when walking across. I reported that on fix my street. There was not a category for ‘foot bridges’ so I reported it as ‘other’.

FixMyStreet is the project of a registered charity mySociety which has grown out of the community of volunteers who built sites like TheyWorkForYou.com.

Hopefully, repairs will be made soon before somebody falls through.

St Helens Wharf Road Closure(s)

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As of March 5th 2025, St Helen’s Wharf in Abingdon is closed to vehicles due to essential gas network maintenance conducted by SGN (Scotia Gas Networks). The road closure commenced on the evening of March 4th. The work order XW060W121248377-01118-01 on https://one.network/ says it is scheduled between March 5th at 18:44 and until March 13 at 23:59. There is no indication how long the work will actually last.

Signs direct foot traffic through St Helen’s Churchyard.

There was also an upcoming road closure planned by Thames Water for St Helen’s Wharf. The Town Council web site https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/services/transport-and-parking/road-closure confirms this. It says Temporary Road Closure – St Helen’s Wharf – for Morrison Water Services – from 10 March 2025 up to and including 14 March 2025. This is a 24 hour road closure.

Abingdon Clubs and Societies Day – Part 4 of 4

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For people wanting to build confidence in public speaking and leadership, the Abingdon Speakers Club provides a friendly place to practice prepared speeches, impromptu speaking exercises, and receive constructive feedback.

Howie, a newcomer to the Abingdon Silver Group, has found silversmithing surprisingly familiar after years of working with classic cars. He’s now creating rings and  jewellery and recommends the group.

Founded in 1975, Abingdon Music Centre Trust makes music accessible to all ages. It offers baby and pre-school music classes, sessions for Reception and Year 1, and a Guitar Club from Year 3 onwards. Adults can join guitar lessons, recorder groups, a community orchestra, or sing in the Abingdon Community Choir. The Trust also brings music to care homes, offering sessions for residents.

One Planet Abingdon and Abingdon Carbon Cutters are conducting a survey on sustainable food habits to find out how we can reduce food’s environmental impact. Food production and consumption play a major role in climate change and biodiversity loss, and individual choices can make things better. An anonymous survey takes just five minutes and closes on 15 March. Take the Survey here.

This biannual clubs and societies day featured over 30 groups, with these 16 just a snapshot of what was there. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to Unit 24 before they packed up and missed finding out about the Abingdon Silent Book Club. I also missed Abingdon Astronomical Society and the chance to ask about the recent planetary alignment — which everyone seems to be talking about. And as for the Abingdon Camera Club, I decided not to use that picture — it wasn’t quite to their standards!

Abingdon Clubs and Societies Day – Part 3 of 4

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The Clubs and Societies event took place in several rooms of the Guildhall, with the busiest being the Roysse Room.

The ATOM Science Festival runs from 15th to 26th March, offering a range of events celebrating science and innovation. This year’s Peagram Lecture will feature Prof. Tony Hey talking about the historical and scientific significance of Einstein, Bohr, and Bell. Mark Simmonds will give a talk on the Whale-Human Interface. On Saturday, 15th March, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, the the ATOM Science Market will be in Abingdon Market Place.  To find out more about these and other events visit Atom Science Festival.

I was reminded by the Rotary club of Abingdon that the world Poohsticks championship will be in May and this could your chance to become a world champion. Not a lot of training is involved. They would also like to get people to help at the gate of the Abingdon Air and Country Show on 14th June.

The Abingdon Drama Club brought out of retirement a papier-mâché horse, usually displayed in their clubhouse window. It was created by Malcolm Ross, who has made many other props. It originally featured in their 2017 production of Portia Coughlan, and its name is … (‘sorry I can’t read my handwriting’). Their next play will be Abigail’s Party by Mike Leigh, running from 26th to 29th March, directed by their chairman, Terry Atkinson.

Mr. Hemmings Traditional Abingdon Morris Dancers were also present, keeping the town’s folk traditions alive. They are looking for new members to keep them alive even longer.