Monthly Archives: April 2012

£4 million refurbishment of Abbey Shopping Centre / Precinct begins

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£4 million refurbishment begins
On twitter I see from the Vale of White Horse District Council “Work has started on the much anticipated £4 million refurbishment of Abingdon’s main retail area Abbey Shopping Centre. “

There is not a lot to see yet. There is some scaffolding round the back of some shops. There are also barriers stored in one shop, and a McLaren sign in another. McLaren are the chosen contractor.

The finished project is available to view on youtube …

Matthew Barber, leader of the district council said “I would ask that residents bear with us over summer while the work is being carried out, and that they continue to visit the town centre and support our local traders in the meantime.”

Mark Steel in Town – Abingdon

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Mark Steel in Town - Abingdon
Mark Steel came to Abingdon to talk at the Amey Theatre in Abingdon School.

The comedy act was tailored to Abingdon where he had been out and about for some hours, and read the Abingdon Herald report on Abingdon United’s goal drought.
Mark Steel in Town - Abingdon
He is pictured here with Jenny who did a lot of the organising of the evening for the Abingdon Arts Festival.

Mark likes local grassroots traditions and had fun with ours: Bun Throwing, and then Aunt Sally.  While the rest of the world throws balls at sticks, we play Aunt Sally which sounded to him like throwing sticks at balls. He suggested this could help explain our lack of success at football.

Mark was also confused by the Abingdon one-way system and said he couldn’t see that a town our size needed a one-way system. He had a dig at the public school theatre we were at – grand pianos everywhere, and no signposts to the theatre from town. He also joked about the recent government advice asking people to stockpile fuel to beat the unions. Perhaps it was for the best that he did not put 2 and 2 together – that the minister who allegedly gave the advice for people to keep fuel in cans, Francis Maude, came from Abingdon School.