Marina Basin Fills Up

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Marina Basin Fills Up
30 years ago, in 1986, the £8m Abingdon marina was beginning to take shape. According to the Herald, water was gushing into the marina basin off Wilsham Road, in preparation for the first phase of up-market homes on the seven-acre site.
Marina Basin Fills Up
If I remember rightly the marina did not all get built in one go. A second phase was delayed after the boom of house prices in the 1980s was followed by a slump in the 1990s as interest rates went up dramatically to curb inflation. Base rate went from 7.5% in May 1988 to 15% in Oct 1989.

Rates have been at 0.5% since 2009, something we could never have imagined back in those days of inflation.

Under this roof – Abingdon Business 1

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fm hair design
This is the first of a new feature. You have to guess the name of the business from the roof and a few other clues.
fm hair design
Towards the end of last year they had a collection for the Abingdon Food Bank.
fm hair design
They have a striking circular mirror that faces the street. Here are some of the staff with an award from Best of Abingdon.

The business has been going for over 40 years. Pete Deane has been the owner for over 10 years but was a partner before that. The business was refurbished and given a new look in 2011.

Some of their weekly clients get to know each other, and a Friday morning can be like a coffee morning with clients that have now got to know each other as friends!

They have a gents side that take walk-in appointments only and a ladies side where they take bookings and also accept walk-ins. In the ladies side they offer cuts, colours, treatments, styling and specialise in bridal hair.

A previous name of the business was Fashion Maker.
fm hair design
They have one of the most amusing A boards in Abingdon. Thanks to their facebook page for most of the pictures.

John Piper in Abingdon

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John Piper in Abingdon
The Friends of Abingdon Museum have organised a talk on the artist and printmaker John Piper. John Piper was also a master of modern stained glass, and a photographer. An example of his stained glass can be seen in St. Helen’s Church, as well as other churches in this area. Photographs he took of Abingdon can be seen in the Tate Collection.

The talk, by Revd Ian Browne, is to be held at the Amey Theatre at Abingdon School on 3rd March 2016 at 7:30pm. Tickets at £10 include a complimentary drink and are available from boxoffice@abingdon.org.uk, the Newbury Building Society, Mostly Books, and The Bookstore.

Seagulls on Wilsham Road

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Seagulls on Wilsham Road
Across from the River Thames, on Wilsham Road, a bungalow called Pendower is just about to be demolished. The grounds have room for two larger properties with higher roofs.
Seagulls on Wilsham Road
In the early morning, seagulls take up positions watching the river, from vantage points on Wilsham Road. You can tell their most popular positions from the white deposits they leave.
Seagulls on Wilsham Road
They are ready for whenever there is food on offer. They wheel round,
Seagulls on Wilsham Road
then swoop down to try to get the food from the ducks.