The Future of the Vale

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On 15th October the VWHDC (Vale of White Horse District Council) Council voted through the draft local plan until 2031.

The draft plan does appear at odds with recent central government advice that “councils must protect our precious green belt land“. The plan would remove land from the Green Belt between Oxford and … Abingdon and neighbouring villages such as Cumnor, Kennington and Radley.
  
The draft plan will be submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination, and local people have received a leaflet, called ‘The Future of the Vale‘. asking for comments about whether the plan is appropriate, achievable and in line with the government’s policies on planning.

You can read how to enter your comments here – until 19th December 2014.

I suppose that if the plan is seen to be inappropriate, unachievable, or out of line with central government’s policy on planning, then the wild-west world of predatory developers – that has become such a feature of the coalition government – will continue.

Terry Wogan and The Reindeer at The Bookstore

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Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan will be at The Bookstore, Bury Street, on Saturday 22nd November, signing copies of his latest book  called ‘Little Book of Common Sense: Or Pause for Thought with Wogan.’
Terry Wogan
Ian, from The Bookstore, was busy creating a Christmas window display most of today.
Terry Wogan
With the lights, purple sheets, snow, and reindeer, he has created something to wonder at.

A Hole Opens Up under St Nicolas Churchyard

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St Nicolas Churchyard
St Nicolas churchyard is currently having some long awaited work to make the path wheelchair accessible.
St Nicolas Churchyard
But the project was suddenly made more complicated by a large hole opening up under the digger. The workman was lucky to get out without injury. You might have expected the River Stert Culvert, or a burial chamber to be the cause of such a hole.

The hole was actually an old coal cellar right next to the old chimney.
St Nicolas Churchyard
By the way, I recently found this picture in Waite’s Guide Book of Abingdon, from the early 1900s. It shows Waite’s Printing Works, at 1 Stert Street, neighbouring St Nicolas Churchyard,
St Nicolas Churchyard
-where the TSB now stands.

David Mitchell Thinking Out Loud in Abingdon

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Mark Thornton from Mostly Books was interviewing David Mitchell at the Amey Theatre in Abingdon this evening.

David, a very well known actor, comedian, and writer, has put together the best of his writings from his Observer column into a book called “Thinking about it only makes it worse, and other lessons from modern life.” It covers the last 6 years from the banking crisis when Labour was in power through the resulting Con-Dem coalition years.
  
David attended Abingdon School, where he enjoyed debating and theatrical productions, and was very good academically. He spoke with honesty and humour on lots of topics including Private Education and its Charitable Status, The Internet, and Madame Tussauds.

He signed a lot of books.

The queue stretched at one stage  from the stage out  through the foyer.

I agreed totally with what he had to say about Private Schools but not about Madame Tussauds. It is more than just an antiquated wax works,