Monthly Archives: May 2013

Town and Vale By-Elections in Abingdon 2013 – Lib-Dem Gains

26 Replies

In the Town and Vale by-elections in Abingdon yesterday, the Lib-Dems won the town and vale seat previously held by Peter Jones of the Conservatives.
Lorraine Oates
Lorraine Oates is the new town councillor. She got 709 votes against 515 for Conservatives and 124 for Labour.
Andrew Skinner
Andrew Skinner is the new District Councillor. He got 683 votes against 518 for Conservatives and 133 for Labour.
Jan Morter
In the central Abingdon vacancy, caused by the loss of Penny McDougall, Jan Morter of the Lib-Dems retained the seat with 719 votes against 413 for the Conservatives and 216 for Labour.

This means on Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council there are now 10 Conservatives, 9 Lib-Dems, 1 Labour, 1 Independent. So the Mayor Making next week will be very close. If the Independent and Labour candidate side with the Lib-Dems, as seems likely, then Mayor Making will revert to the old pattern where the next in line, that is Sam Bowring, becomes Mayor. But we will see then.

If this glorious weather continues …

Leave a reply

Air and Country Show
If this glorious weather continues until Sunday this could be one of the great Abingdon Air & Country Shows.
Air and Country Show
Flying Displays:
* DC3 Dakota
* P51 Mustang (Hangar 11′s)
* Gnat
* RV8tors display team (2x RV8)
* Bulldog
* Silence Twister solo
* Breitling Wingwalkers x2
* Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial * Flight Avro Lancaster
* North American T28 Fennec
* Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance EC-135 * Helicopter Flythru.
* Army Air Corp Lynx
* Hurricane Mk1 (Peter Vachers)
* Royal Air Force Tristar tanker (216sqn, RAF * Brize Norton)
* Harvard
* Jet Provost T5

Ground Displays:
* Farms2Ewe (includes an assortment of animals!)
* Tank Rides on the rough terrain course
* Williams Formula One FW35 Showcar (non runner)
* Hawkwalk Falconry (static and demonstration of various English birds)
* Dogs Trust ‘Dogmobile’ (with 2 Dogs to view from the Hampstead Marshal rehoming centre )
* Ex Military Vehicles (Military Vehicle Trust)
* Avon Valley Ferrets
* RAF Tornado Flight Simulator (RAFA Experience)
* Kennesaw Confederates” 1860s re-enactment group
* Abingdon Town Crier Peter Green (ex Vulcan aircrew!)
* Viv O Gara Irish Dancers
* English School of Falconry static display (from * Owls to the Bald Eagle!)
* Abbey Brass Band
* Reptiles & Creepy Crawlies Stall.
* Red Arrows Flight Simulator
* Heyford Park Playbus
* Portsmouth Model Boat Display Team (selection of static model boats)
* US / British Army / Homeguard Soldier Re-Enactors
* Spitfire to sit in the cockpit (Spit4hire)
* Skyangels International Rescue attending with a King Air aircraft (or similar type) kitted out as a hospital, & / or an Air Ambulance helicopter, & support Vehicles & crews
* Vale Islanders Medieval Dancers
* National Sports Association mini air rifle range
* Trade Stalls containing various items to view / purchase
* Vintage Vehicles (includes: Jaguar E Types, Morgan 4/4, MGs, Morris Minors, 1964 Ford F100, 1941 Bedford MW, Triumphs, Landrover 101/109, Ford Mustangs, Minis, 1949 Dodge Coronet to name a few).
* Steam Engines – 4″ / 5″ scale Foster Engines, 4″ scale Hind Steam Engine.
* Royal Air Force 4624 Auxillary Sqn (from RAF Brize Norton)
* Army Air Corp Apache Helicopter Flight

They just go on and on.

abingdonairandcountry.co.uk to see more.

£15 on the day or £12 if you get an advance ticket locally. It is already too late to purchase on line.

Air and Country Show
Sponsored by local businesses. Chancellors for example have distributed 10,000 leaflets to promote the air show and displayed promotional boards throughout the local area.

Profits go to Air Ambulance.

QS – End of Lease – Everything must go

28 Replies

qs - End of Lease
The ‘qs’ shop on Abingdon’s High street has had a closing down sale for the last couple of weeks.
qs - End of Lease
‘qs’ were a chain of discount clothing stores, that were taken over and rebranded as ‘Store Twenty One’ in 2007.

Since then at least 75% of the stores now carry the ‘Store Twenty One’ name but not the Abingdon store which is still ‘qs’.

This Independent newspaper report says that Store Twenty One has not paid rent on some of its loss making stores and as a result “encounter a high degree of hostility from landlords”.