Monthly Archives: December 2010

Andrew and Two Alisons

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First time the Abingdon Blog has come Belgium thanks to a message and picture from facebook…
Play 2 Give
I got a nice message from Andrew Baker who has been fund raising for Oxford Children’s Hospital since they gave him treatment for a very serious illness some years ago.

A few weeks ago Andrew and friends held a charity event at the Bowyers Arms in Radley. Andrew was too unwell to arrange it all himself and so got help from the two Alisons. They are pictured together with Andrew, and the charity cheque.

As with all his previous ‘play 2 give’ events half the money went to Oxford Children’s Hospital and half to another charity. In ths case it was the Footsteps Foundation who provide financial help, or specialist exercise for children suffering cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders.

Over 70s Christmas Party

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Over 70s Christmas Party
There was a new look to the Over 70s Christmas Party. NOt only did the Over 70s look younger, but this year the young Mayor of Abingdon wanted to jolly up the proceedings and so round tables replaced the long benches.

First half was Bingo, Raffle, and a quiz followed by food. Some of the town’s firemen helped as well as the usual town councillors.

Second half was the entertainment. Carswell School began with some animated singing.
Over 70s Christmas Party
Larkmead School followed.
Over 70s Christmas Party
Then the Abingdon ladies choir.
Over 70s Christmas Party
On the way out everybody was given a present, and the first edition of the Trinity Learning News – produced by six children from Carswell Primary School and featured a while back on this Abingdon blog.

(I am leaving town for a few days to visit Belgium but will try to carry on the blog from there if there is a connection. But it could go horribly wrong. )

Abingdon Pubs For Sale

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Pubs Closing
One thing is clear, The Fitzharris Arms has been already sold to Tesco, who plan to turn it into a Supermarket. The Herald had the ‘Fury over Pub Sale to Tesco‘ story this morning.
Pubs Closing
The Fitz was built in 1952 along with the surrounding houses.  So it serves a large area with no other nearby pubs.  Local people – many of them elderly – depend on their local pub for their social lives.  A social group of elderly residents meets every two weeks at the Fitz, and their Christmas Party was planned for the day the pub is to close.
Pubs Closing

Also worth noting is that  Tesco own the One Stop supermarket just down the Wootton Road.  So are they planning to have two shops so close together? They did buy the Fox and Hounds pub on the Abingdon Road in Oxford and it has remained derelict since 2007.

Pubs Closing
A For Sale sign has also appeared over another Greene King pub in the town centre: The Plough.
Pubs Closing
The Plough re-opened in July after being closed from the start of the year.

Those two pubs may be just the start. There are rumours of other Greene King pubs being sold off.

(Greene King got a majority stake in the Abingdon based Morland Brewery, and all it’s pubs, in 1999. )

Return from Afghanistan Medal Parade

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Freedom and Medal Ceremony
Around 320 soldiers from the 12th Logistic Support Regiment based in Dalton Barracks, Abingdon held a medal parade in Abingdon to mark the return of all elements of the Regiment from Helmand Province in Southern Afghanistan.
Freedom and Medal Ceremony
Mr Tim Stevenson, the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, gave out medals and made a short address.
Freedom and Medal Ceremony
The troops then marched through the town centre led by the Band of the Logistics Corps before attending a church service at St Helens.