Monthly Archives: January 2012

2 new flats

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2 flats
This grade II listed building at number 6 East St Helen Street was converted to offices in 1981 for Pryce & Co Solicitors, previously of Roysse Court – where the registry office now is.

Pryce & Co were once known as Pryce, Carslaw & Lillies. Pryce & Co merged with another Abingdon solicitor in 2007 and since then the building in East St Helen Street has been empty, although the signs have remained.

There are plans now to convert the building into flats: one flat on the ground floor and basement, another on the first and second floor.

Planning for Real – looking for helpers

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The South Abingdon Residents Plan (SARP) is a community group whose aim is:

• to develop a community plan for the area
• to identify ways of involving the whole community
• to liaise with relevant authorities and organisations to make the plan as effective as possible
Planning for Real
So far the group has been asking a large number of residents of South Abingdon (including in the Community Shop at the Christmas Extravaganza – above):

• what residents like about south Abingdon,
• what they would like to see improved,
• what big ideas they have for the area.
Planning for Real
The next step is to use a  ‘Planning for Real’ model to gain more in depth views from a wide cross section of South Abingdon. This needs volunteers.
Planning for Real
So if you would like to be involved in training to help take the PfR model round to get other people’s views, contact : Jackie Silver 01235 514404 or email jsilver@soha.co.uk .

Annual Christian Aid Walk

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Abingdon Christian Aid
Most years the annual Christian Aid walk clashes with the Boundary Walk (see yesterday’s article), but not this year. A lot of the Christian Aid participants were presumably in church on New Year’s Day and so the walk was put back to Bank Holiday Monday.
Abingdon Christian Aid
The walk started at St Michael’s Church at 10 am. Route leaflets with maps cost £1.  So that money, together with donations, and sponsorship helped raise funds for Christian Aid.
Abingdon Christian Aid
The route headed from St Michael’s through Albert Park, and then through some residential areas before hitting a country path that led over Lodge Hill to Radley College.
Abingdon Christian Aid
Here are two walkers passing near the famous Radley Oak, a tree of unknown age but said to have been rejected by ship builders during the Napoleonic Wars because it was misshapen. In the centre of this picture is a man often seen in the Oxfam Shop. He was one of the founding members of Oxfam, Abingdon over 40 years ago and still does the accounts, and helps in the shop.
Abingdon Christian Aid
The walkers stopped for a coffee break at Radley Church Hall then returned to Abingdon via Radley Lakes and along the sustrans cycle path. Bank Holiday Monday is likely to be the sunniest day of the week, and there were lots of other people out walking, cycling and running. The sustrans Route 5 cycle path was the busiest I have seen it.  Cycles could not move for walkers at times.

Abingdon Boundary Walk – Jan 1st 2012

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Abingdon Boundary Walk
The traditional new years day walk, round the 1556 Abingdon Boundary, began at the Market Place in front of the County Hall – now looking splendid without the scaffold.
Abingdon Boundary Walk
The walk was led by Alan Bryden – who also does guided tours round the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Alan began by saying “We shall start with a run round the boundary” to which somebody responded “I’m not running round.”

This is the second time Alan has led the walk. Previously it was led by Martin Smith.
Abingdon Boundary Walk
The town crier rang his bell and wished everybody we met a Happy New Year.
Abingdon Boundary Walk
He had some good one liners, which I have forgotten – a visual gag will have to do instead.
Abingdon Boundary Walk
Here are two ex councillors who stood down last year – Laurel Symons, and Janet Morgan – Abingdon’s latest freeman. We are hoping she will arrange to drive some sheep over Abingdon Bridge in 2012 – the one privilege afforded Abingdon Freemen and the sort of thing that should happen during a Diamond Jubilee year as well as the bun throw.