The Magic Midget becomes The Roaring Raindrop

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The Midget pub in Abingdon is set to reopen on Friday, December 13th, 2024, under a new name: The Roaring Raindrop. The new name pays tribute to the last record-breaking MG car made in Abingdon.

The old name honoured the record-breaking 750cc MG ‘Magic’ Midget cars of the 1930s, produced in Abingdon. It was a clever name as MG appears in both Magic and Midget.

The pub has been closed for a revamp and rebranding following an online petition signed by over 1,000 people who objected to the name ‘The Midget’ which when applied to small people is insulting. The name was changed from ‘The Magic Midget’ to ‘The Midget’ in about 2002.

The address of the pub is The Roaring Raindrop, Midget Close, Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

A day of poetry in Abingdon: Pam Ayres and Daniel Sluman

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Pam Ayres was at the Book Store for a book signing of her new book ‘Doggedly Onwards’. It is a lifetime of poems, with some biography. Pam grew up in the Vale of White Horse, and her Berkshire accent is instantly recognisable.

Despite the wild winds, Abingdon folks turned out in force to buy the book and meet Pam who chatted with each of them, making them feel like old friends.

I told Pam I’d be spending the afternoon at another poetry event in Abingdon. Daniel Sluman, a talented poet, was reading his work to the Ock Poets at Unit 24 Bury Street, just across the way. Pam said, “You are having a poetical day.”

Daniel, a recent arrival to Abingdon, was shortlisted for the prestigious T.S. Eliot Prize for his 2021 book, Single Window. He read poems from his three published books and two poems from his forthcoming fourth collection.

Future of Dalton Barracks: Public Consultation in progress

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The first stage of a four-phase public consultation on the redevelopment of Dalton Barracks has been ongoing and two sessions were held today in Abingdon, one in the Northcourt Centre and one in the Roysse Room. The initial focus is to gather feedback on the vision for transforming the former military site into a Garden Village that integrates with the surrounding area and reflects the sites past. Out of this will come a Master plan

Dalton Barracks, located on the site of the former RAF Abingdon airfield, will cease military operations in 2031 as part of a government initiative. The airfield was operational from 1932 to 1992, and the site has used by the army logistic corps since, so the land will have served military purposes for 99 years.

In the initial phase of development, approximately 2,750 homes are planned and incorporated into the local development plan through 2041. A second phase aims to increase this to over 5,000 homes, constructed over a longer period.

The consultation process will include a master plan and more detailed plans in 2025, with a planning application expected in 2026. If approved, construction on the first homes could begin in 2029.

The project’s official website, www.daltonbarracks.com, has more information and provides a way to give feedback and sign up for updates. Abingdon Library has feedback forms for people who prefer paper and could not get to any of the events.