Monthly Archives: November 2014

An Abingdon Church Hall Built in 1926 and demolished in 1988

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Abingdon Church Hall
This Abingdon Church Hall was featured in the 1927 Hooke’s Abingdon Almanack and Directory – to show the workmanship of P.A and G Randall, Builders and Contractors of Swinburne Road. It was built in 1926 – funded by public subscription.
Abingdon Church Hall
The Church Hall would have been situated about where the road runs in front of Abbey House, and was demolished in 1988 when the Abbey House Council Offices were built. Demolition allowed access to Abbey Close avoiding the Abbey Gateway – which in our times need protection from passing traffic.

The church hall was used for the WI Market, church youth clubs, blood donor clinics, church socials, jumble sales, dances, and performances on a small stage.

The Future of the Vale

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On 15th October the VWHDC (Vale of White Horse District Council) Council voted through the draft local plan until 2031.

The draft plan does appear at odds with recent central government advice that “councils must protect our precious green belt land“. The plan would remove land from the Green Belt between Oxford and … Abingdon and neighbouring villages such as Cumnor, Kennington and Radley.
  
The draft plan will be submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination, and local people have received a leaflet, called ‘The Future of the Vale‘. asking for comments about whether the plan is appropriate, achievable and in line with the government’s policies on planning.

You can read how to enter your comments here – until 19th December 2014.

I suppose that if the plan is seen to be inappropriate, unachievable, or out of line with central government’s policy on planning, then the wild-west world of predatory developers – that has become such a feature of the coalition government – will continue.

Terry Wogan and The Reindeer at The Bookstore

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Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan will be at The Bookstore, Bury Street, on Saturday 22nd November, signing copies of his latest book  called ‘Little Book of Common Sense: Or Pause for Thought with Wogan.’
Terry Wogan
Ian, from The Bookstore, was busy creating a Christmas window display most of today.
Terry Wogan
With the lights, purple sheets, snow, and reindeer, he has created something to wonder at.

A Hole Opens Up under St Nicolas Churchyard

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St Nicolas Churchyard
St Nicolas churchyard is currently having some long awaited work to make the path wheelchair accessible.
St Nicolas Churchyard
But the project was suddenly made more complicated by a large hole opening up under the digger. The workman was lucky to get out without injury. You might have expected the River Stert Culvert, or a burial chamber to be the cause of such a hole.

The hole was actually an old coal cellar right next to the old chimney.
St Nicolas Churchyard
By the way, I recently found this picture in Waite’s Guide Book of Abingdon, from the early 1900s. It shows Waite’s Printing Works, at 1 Stert Street, neighbouring St Nicolas Churchyard,
St Nicolas Churchyard
-where the TSB now stands.