Monthly Archives: June 2013

Abingdon Town Council Meeting – June 2013

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All the big decisions had been made in committees and so most matters went through with a nod. The meeting was finished in under an hour. So I am scouring the committee papers for something to report…

On the museum committee “Members did not consider that a display of photographs from the 2013 Passion Play was suitable for an exhibition”.
Abingdon Xtra
Amenities and Recreation committee minutes say “MG Garden was almost complete apart from a few minor jobs”
Abingdon Xtra
The planning committee did not like Greene King’s new design for The Broad Face pub sign. They found the sign showing a gallows “inappropriate and insensitive”.

They had no objection to a change of use from a Jessops retail store (A1 use) to a mixed class coffee shop (A1/A3) to serve the existing adjacent Costa Coffee. Costa are to expand.

They had no objections to the refurbishment of the Crown and Thistle.
Abingdon Xtra
They did not like, and recommended refusal of, the plans to 57-59 Stert Street because they believe it contravenes 7 separate planning policies.

They also objected to the siting of a modular building, over one-storey, to provide a house room at Abingdon School for a period of five years. The district council, who make the final decision, did approach the chair of planning, Councillor Mike Badcock, and asked him to reconsider the decision of his committee. He refused. The committee decision stands.
Abingdon Xtra
The planning committee had no objections to the re-development plans for the Viney / Homebase side of the Fairacres Retail Park.

The town council also gave a decent sized grant of £12.5K to The Abingdon Bridge for a Drugs and Alcohol abuse project. And £600 to Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers for “repairs and renewal of costume and regalia”.

Radio Abingdon Xtra – nearly there

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Abingdon Xtra
Radio Witney has already taken off. Local radio stations do work in this age of the world wide web .

Mark from Radio AbingdonXtra was there at the recent music in the park.

The radio station has two regular DJs producing programs that can be listened to at any time on-line. Sam Colmer has been creating a weekly program featuring music from local bands for some time. He has been joined by Stuart Brackley doing programs about the music he is passionate about: blues and soul. Both sound very good and there are impending plans for more programs.
Abingdon Xtra
The Nag’s Head is now provided the main sponsorship which will give the radio station a licence to play main stream music 24X7 over the internet.

But to make this radio station unique to Abingdon, they need, between the music, local content which only community groups and societies and people can provide. They need features where local people go in and talk, and make podcasts (short digital programs) about what they care about.

John Mason School is hosting their largest exhibition

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John Mason School Art
John Mason School is hosting their largest exhibition with over 1000 pieces of art, craft, animation and design work on display in the main gallery and many of the adjoining rooms.
John Mason School Art
There is one remaining ‘out of school hours’ viewings – Wed 12th 3-7pm. But visits are possible during school hours after signing in at reception. The exhibition runs until Thursday 13th June 2013.
John Mason School Art
There is a painting, by Sophie, just inside the gallery door, showing a scene down Stert Street, and above it all the development work that led to the final very saleable  hyper- realist picture.
John Mason School Art
That is not the only Abingdon scene. Upstairs Abingdon is home of the MG next to what could be Anna Pavlova.
John Mason School Art
John Mason School specialises in the visual arts and aims for ‘excellence through creativity’.

World without memory at the One Act Play Festival

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2nd Saturday in June
From Monday to Friday about a dozen one act plays were performed by local acting groups at the Unicorn Theatre, in Abingdon, as part of the Oxford Drama Festival of One Act Plays. On Saturday, at the finale, the winner of the Colin Dextor Rose Bowl, awarded by Colin Dextor, was World Without Memory, performed by Henley Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society. Henley can usually be counted on to be good but this year they were excellent.

In this play, through a number of short episodes, the audience experienced how scary it could be to live in a world without memory. The scary thing is how many of us will end our days in a world without memory.

(Thanks to @HAODS on twitter for the picture. If my memory serves me right, the evening of the finale was 60 years to the day since the first ever performance at the Unicorn Theatre – 8th June 1953.)