HRH Princess Anne landed in this helicopter at Abingdon School at about 10:30. She was there to unveil a plaque commemorating their 750th anniversary.

After about an hour there she travelled the mile to town in this car.

Many small troops of school children walked to town from the different schools. Thameside, pictured in the centre, brought along about thirty pupils.

But St Nics had a starring role, singing the “Bun Throwing Song.” Princess Anne is watching on.

She then went to talk to the singers. That is Peter Green, the Mayor next to her. And then for about twenty minutes she went round the Market Place meeting school children and community groups.

Princess Anne joined the Mayor on the steps of the Guildhall for “God Save the Queen.” Then the church bells of St Nics began ringing, and the second bun thow of the year started. Here are the Town Councillors launching the buns from the roof of the County Hall.

There was a good crowd, trying to catch the 450 buns.

And lastly here is one of the buns. The letters PR stand for Princess Royal.

The consultation process has begun with an exhibition inside the Guildhall today, and it was greeted with torrential rain outside.

These people are particulalrly worried by the map, because their house in Drayton is close to the perimeter.

There were about 15 boards round the room, but all the crowds gathered round this conceptual map: interested in what it might look like.

At the exhibition Thames Water were really trying to put the case why a new reservoir is necessary, not get too much into the detailed design.

The Campaign for Rural England and Green Party have come out saying it just is not necessary. Thames Water should plug leaks first, instead of destroying four square miles of Oxfordshire Countryside.

From a look on the internet, it appears that the name is not uncommon. In close proximity, Abingdon and Bicester and Wallingford all have a Cattle Market Car Park. The closure of the original Cattle Markets freed up space for Car Parks.

But now some Cattle Market Car Parks are taking another step in their evolution. Development is encouraged on brown field sites and so Abingdon Cattle Market Car Park has a notice saying ‘Planning permission sought to build residences.’

Should we worry about loosing sixty parking places. Apart from On Street Car Parking, and private car parks like Waitrose, there are other car parks:

• Abbey Close
• Audlett Drive
• The Charter (multi-storey)
• Civic
• Hales Meadow
• Rye Farm (and Rye Farm Commercial)
• Queen Street (Permit Only)
• Market Place (Permit Only)
• West St Helen Street

Perhaps the question is more whether we should be using the space up for housing when another sort of building might be needed in the town centre in years to come.

The Salvation Army Citadel on West St Helens Street, has a couple of mobility buggies parked outside. Accessibility is big business nowadays (what with the Disability Discrimination Act – DDA – and the increasingly elderly population).

Pavements in Abingdon vary. The worst ones cause problems for elderly people who have to look down each time they take a step.

But among the best and most level is the pavement laid when Marshall and Galpin Solicitors built their new offices in West St Helen Street.

Among other forms of litigation, Marshall and Galpin pursue accident claims and maybe even offences against the DDA act. With a pavement like that, they won’t be found wanting themselves.

They can’t be faulted for outlandish modern architecture either. It even has the traditional archway into the courtyard for stage coaches so loved in East and West St Helen Street.

(Marshal and Galpin have at no time offered me payment herein to promote their pavement. I broach all this notwithstanding without let or hindrance and duelly take exception to any contrary understanding bywithal. )