The Swan Uppers completed their five day annual census of swans in Abingdon-on-Thames this afternoon.
They caught a swan and 5 cygnets off Wilsham Road in Abingdon.
Swan Upping is partly ceremonial and partly scientific. Swans are rounded up, caught, marked, and then released.
There were more swans on the Thames this year than last.
The ceremonial part ended at Abingdon Bridge with a toast to ‘The Queen’.
wonder if the swans swap tales of alien abduction?
Apparently there were lots of swans and cygnets upstream if the bridge – must have been hiding! Nice to see a good turnout at one of Abingdon’s quirkier traditions!
There will always be a part of England which is Gilbert & Sullivan ;0)
Apparently the swans in The Upper Thames don’t have to be upped if they stay upstream from Abingdon bridge, so are they also royal birds?
At last I managed to get there at the right time. My last 3 attempts having been unsuccessful owing to the finish time being earlier than the anticipated 5pm.
As a relatively recent ‘incomer’ to Abingdon, I am amazed at the variety of traditional and colourful ceremonies and events which seem to take place here.
I am surprised that the town does not make more of this event though…….a good opportunity to raise the profile of the town as a place to visit?
@cassandra – it amazes me too that so little of this is made but I console myself that there are numerous bodies already in existence in Abingdon, some even paid for by the public purse, who’s very existence is to raise the profile of the town. This “gift on a plate” will therefore I assume have been looked at, cost benefit analysed, further consultants….consulted, and decided that it isn’t worth making anything of.
But the flower boxes look lovely.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, it would be good to know how/where people would like to see things like this publicised? The people who Daniel is presumably referring to produce the Abingdon town website which is supposed to be the core information source for locals and tourists alike. I just did a quick check and under “Discover Abingdon” found the following http://www.abingdon.gov.uk/witness-living-tradition/swan-upping and a posting on the front page reminding us that it was on this week. It was also posted on the WhatsOnAbingdon Twitter feed and I am pretty sure I saw it on the TC notice boards.
So – back to my repeated question – what more do people want “them” to do? Daniel gave me some thoughts last time I asked this, but it would be good to hear from others. Personally I think we could all help by spreading the word via our own networks: if we all checked the Abingdon events diary and passed on news of interesting events – whether by word of mouth or social media – it would be a start….
Hester, one could make a start at the centre of our universe, the two councils, Yesterday morning, a very good friend of mine (happy to give you his name privately) heard about this event, but needed to know more, (times, locations etc) so he rand the Vale to inquire, “don’t know what you mean? never heard of it, try the town council” so he did, he rand the TC yesterday morning at 9.10 and was greeted by an answer phone stating we open at 9.00am ! He rang back again at 9.30 and spoke to a person who also knew nothing of the event, nor could point him in the direction of anyone who did !
Perhaps you ought to consider that not everyone is on Facebook, twitter or indeed the internet at all? which means some old fashioned advertising, Herald, Guardian, monthly newsletters etc??
Yawn – same old same old from a steve king post
I no longer believe a word he says
Could I suggest notices in local shop windows,my parents live 20 yards from the river but are not online and did not know about it and I am not on facebook or twitter and the blog was the first I knew.
Actually my comment was not meant as a criticism and I do use the council ‘What,s On’ website quite a lot. However I did not see any reminders/notices around the Town (the Morris Sides seem to use shop window displays quite successfully for their event).
I was prompted to make this comment by the fact that my reminder came from a relative who lives in another part of the UK. He had seen a report of the Henley part of Swan Upping in a national newspaper. Lots of people at the riverside had come from a distance or had followed the event’s progress along the river. Hence it seemed to me That if more people knew, it might bring more visitors to the town.
This is said in the spirit of helpful feedback and not negative comment upon what is already being done.
I read about it in the free Oxfordshire guardian. It didn’t say where so I sat by the river in the park and missed it. Didn’t see anything about it in the town. The lock keeper explained it stops at the bridge and was running a bit late.
How about a notice on this blog? Mostly Books has a newsletter and their windows are full of posters. The library has posters but there was no mention of it.
@ Iain
But what if he’s telling the truth? Not all Council employees are equally well informed about all that’s happening in the town.
Insofar as Swan Upping is not organized by the local authorities, why should their employees know? It’s not council business. So Steve’s post may well be an accurate reflection of what happened.
Hi Paul
Yes that could be the case but for me I’m afraid Steve is the boy who cried wolf given the all the misinformation he has posted in previous posts
I’ve always thought that it’s a toss-up as to what’s worse … misinformation, or no information …
What’s happening with the rental of the Bury Street units? What’s the situation re. the Guildhall Cinema and how much has it cost thus far? What was the contracted amount originally agreed with the developer for The Old Goal, was this amount amended after the contracts were signed and how much has the developer paid so far? Etc and Etc.
One is left to wonder whether the councils have something to be embarrassed about ….
Bill
Ref guildhall – pretty much same as last time u asked – i posted on this last week
Ref precinct – suggest you ask scottish widows who are the landlords
Ref cranbourne homes – suggest you ask cranbourne homes
So, Iain, the councils don’t have a clue what’s happening to the Town’s assets …
You’re asking the wrong person bill – i’m a town councillor.
I know whats going on with town council assets but the precinct is on long term lease from tge vale to swip and the old gaol was sold by vale to cranbourne homes ages before i became a councillor
I was using the plural of Council so including The Vale.
It’s not all about you, Iain …
… though would I be right in thinking that spending on the Guildhall Cinema is more than the £60K quoted at the beginning of the year, plus the extra £25K recent increase in budget and then a bit more, say £100K in total and rising?
This, of course, not including the thick end of £12.5K a month the TC is losing as it hasn’t got its act together on the Guildhall.
Are we to take it that the TC has no interest at all as to what The Vale does to the Town?
Isn’t it depressing how a nice article about a bit of summer fun can turn into the same old sniping – please can we have a truce?
Hester – i’m fed up with it too but am not prepared to let these trolls go unanswered – sorry
Bill – i know you’d rather we didn’t do the cinema project – that’s your view which is fine. The cost stuff is a complete red herring though – if you’d prefer we embarked on a major capital project without engaging suitable professional advice such as architects, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, accoustic engineers then excuse me if i disagree.
I co pletely agree about the £12.5k a month – that’s one of the reasons we’re doing the project. If you have a different view stand for election and you can put it into action.
Iain, I think embarking on a major capital project was ridiculously overambitious and your first mistake. As I’ve pointed out before, this was what they did with the Millennium Dome when they didn’t have a clue as to what ‘entertainments’ they were going to put on inside and look what a dreary and expensive fiasco that turned out to be. Why is it that politicians like building monuments before they think things through?
To stand any realistic chance of being elected I’d have to join a political party and I’m not willing to compromise my principles by selling my soul to the mediocrity of a party line.
Re 22 – Power to your elbow Lad !
When I saw there were 23 posts about swan upping, the thread of dreariness that followed was exactly what I expected to see. But the prize for the funniest post of the week (albeit unintentionally so) goes to number 22,
Back to the Swan upping. I agree it would be nice to make an event of it in Abingdon. I don’t know if other town councils do. As far as I’m aware the town council isn’t given any advance notification, and we’re not invited to be part of it. We would have to know the date well in advance if we were to organise anything.
Bill – stand and be counted – party is just an excuse – tgere are loads of independent councillors around the country – we even have one in abingdon
Where would people suggest “what is happening to Abingdon” get batted around…if not on a forum or blog?
Iain, the independent on the TC did, I believe, defect after being established in one of the established political parties. An independent, by definition, doesn’t have their own Tammany Hall machine supporting them in terms of money and support, a Tammany Hall which will demand its quid quo pro in terms of unquestioning loyalty and personal compromise on election. And, of course, whichever ‘Boss Tweed’ is running the TC at any one time would make sure that an independent would never have influence in a committee with any power. This is realpolitik as you should know by now.
Far more effective and honest to comment from the outside.
If only Abingdon First could be as controversial as this blog and get so many people fired up and making as many comments. ;O)
Back to the swans – the schedule for swan upping is publicised on the British Monarchy website. I don’t know how far in advance though.
I have a great deal of respect for you Hester; not least because as a volunteer you go above and beyond (I think), the call of duty with your efforts regarding the town – What’s On etc… and sticking your head above the parapet is always a worthy yet dangerous thing to do! As you have, and purely as a way to address an answer; I hope you won’t take this too personally…it isn’t meant to be…
We have been asked “how should people be notified” of events; like the Swan Upping (see…I am TRYNG to keep it on topic – but thsi goes for ALL things Abingdon)…and yes, you point out (and emphasise my laziness at the same time) that this was, actually, publicised in some places already…I guess though, that the difference is…if I woke up one morning and said…”I wonder what is happening in Abingdon today?”, I have a fairly good idea of where to look (ChAps, Council Portal, etc)….and that is great. However the problem there is that “I have already chosen Abingdon”… and what I am now looking for is something to do with that choice. But what if I woke up and thought; “What shall I do today?”…. what then will make me “choose Abingdon”?
Marketing the town can either be passive…or active.
The first example above is passive, and the second…relies on some active marketing/advertising….
Maybe The Herald should have had a front page splash saying “Calling all Abingdonians, the infamous swan upping will be here a week on Friday – clear your diaries, bring your picnics, tell your friends…make the most of the day long free parking…..for this quirky yearly event”. Maybe the same headline should be in surrounding town’s editions. Perhaps even on the Meridian news…or BBC Oxford Radio. And Jack FM…. I don’t know…I haven’t got a business, media, or marketing qualification…
The thing is…and this is what smarts a little, as a council tax payer…is why are we having to come up with ideas like this? I don’t understand? I don’t empty my own bins on collection day. I don’t sweep my own roads. I don’t change light bulbs in broken street lamps…there are whole layers of local government who contract this stuff out and responsible for getting all this done…isn’t there already some kind of “marketing department” for the town – and if not…why not!?
We have “Choose Abingdon”, I thought for exactly this….? Don’t we…? Of the £60,000 a year that we give them form our tax payers pocket, OK, so half has to go on employing staff….but the remainder…what is that used for…and why aren’t those staff exploring all the marketing and media options available to market our town and “get it out there”…already?
It is great that ‘we’ the populace are asked “how would we like to be kept informed”, but equally shouldn’t the employed experts be doing their bit too? I’m no expert…but the gurus employed by the council, or working at the council…this is WHAT THEY DO…isn’t it?
To bring it back to swan upping…this hasn’t “just happened for the first time” this year…this happens every year. And every year we pose similar questions surrounding the lack of communication…well…it’s about time events in Abingdon were shoved in my face…rather than relying on me finding out about them… or…save us all £60,000 and put some adverts on the telly! This is what marketing and advertising is all about…and I thought that’s what we now employed people to do!?
Marketing the town and events shouldn’t be a passive thing – where I have to go and find out about it…it should be an active thing, from which I can’t escape!
A good start would be…rather than headng North on the A34 and seeing that Tesco is advertised as you approach teh Marcham turn-off…hows about getting a brown “Historc Town” sign up for Abingdon? It isn’t rocket science…and is “marketting 1-0-1” to get the message out there.
We don’t need to hear again how “one council said it’s the other councils highways agency decision to look into not doing something” same old rigmarole…I just expect my ‘leaders’ to lead…and make things happen by speaking to the necessary people to work together to get things done.
Just some thoughts….with the best of intentions….
As I have just been caught muttering to myself whilst making a cup of tea…I thought I may as well get this added in….otherwise people will think I’m just plain crazy, for no reason…
To answer the “oh, here we go again” criticisms (to clarify, that’s the criticisms of the criticisms…I’m all for the criticism…just not the criticism of the criticism)….of why people are moaning about the same old same old… I think it is because of that brown road sign on the A34. It is fast becoming a metaphor for all the issues…if all the respective authorities, powers, associations, teams, departments and groups are not even able to get a sign in place telling people that Abingdon even exists….then what point is there in the rest of it? A wise man once said, “you need to get the basics right first”. And I agree. When all the important, basic stuff is done…the councils/powers can concentrate on the pretty stuff. With a big arm, sweep across the “fancy ideas table” for Abingdon…and put on it, right in the middle, one, powerful, little yellow post-it note…”Historic Market Town signage”.
Start with the basics. And work upwards.
Independence from political party does not necessarily guarantee honesty any more than membership of a political party necessarily implies dishonestly. Years ago, RA Butler entitled his autobiography The Art of the Possible It acknowledged and explained the simple truth that nobody ever gets exactly everything she or he wants. We compromise in order to gain the best outcome we can.
We are fools if we believe that a political manifesto is a list of promises that can be guaranteed of achievement. That is to adopt the agenda of the mass media. What we are offered is a list of aims and aspirations. Sometimes, with the best will in the world, those aspirations may be frustrated and the aims remain unfulfilled.
Like others on this list, I do not belong to a political party. However, in my case, it is not because I don’t believe in their value, but because in my life before retirement I needed to be seen to be clear of that sort of bias/influence.
I am not sure that being outside the process made me any more effective. I may (at times) have shouted loudly – very loudly! My recollection is that the volume of my voice was in inverse proportion to its chance of being heard.
Most politicians do want to get things done and to get things done better. The problem is that the intractable world keeps g
getting in the way.
That does not mean that we should say nothing. I have noticed however that politicians respond better to “How can I help?” than to “You muffed it again!”
I, too, have missed Swan Upping every year (five) since I have lived in Abingdon. I have now made a note to check at the beginning of June 2015 for news of next year’s event.
BackStreeter, thanks for letting us rant occasionally…
Loving the fact that an article on swans can produce such unrelated comments. Did anyone see the racoon on a lead in Abingdon today? Seriously, there was one. Perhaps he was called Rocky?
Re previous thread.
George, I’m disappointed that a man in your position should speculate publicly as to the cause of the closure of Weatherspoons “ a infestation of ants” especially when it wasn’t the case, I expect there’s a letter from their solicitors winging its way to you as we speak (oh, they know who you are, I’ve just told them) and as for mentioning your previous employees capabilities on this blog, that’s very poor conduct and does nothing for staff morale.
The ubiquitous Ian, what a spectacular own goal old boy and an amazing 180 U turn too? At last you’ve conceded (well partly) that the £33k BID money DOES have to be repaid by businesses of Abingdon, should the BID be successful, and if it is they will have a hefty financial burden to cover in their first year, already stated on your web site is the intention of employing an officer (and we all know who’s lining themselves up for that) and a side kick, so there’s another £60k, in all the first year liabilities for Abingdon’s businesses is close to £100k already ! (And they’ll all vote for that, won’t they?)
But there is still your incorrect statement re council tax payer’s liability to the £33k that you need to withdraw. If you care to read the regulations surrounding this “LOAN” you will see that if/when the BID fails and the vote is less than 20%, the proposer then becomes liable (fact Ian, fact) the proposer being sponsored by Choose Abingdon/TC, both of whom are paid for by the council tax payer.
Now this prompts two questions, 1, did you make your incorrect statement re the liability of the £33k through utter ignorance of the rules? Difficult to believe, not only are you one of the main protagonists of the BID, but appear to be their conduit too?
Or 2, did you deliberately set out to mislead the public and business by making false statements about the financial liabilities of a BID?
Either way the questions are far too serious to be resolved here and so I have copied and archived this and the other thread with this intention.
One copy along with a covering letter will be sent to the district auditor, another copy and covering letter will be sent to the local government ombudsman, and a third will be sent to the Office of the deputy Prime Minister (the BID regulatory body) with a covering letter and a request that this BID proposal be declared null and void on the grounds that miss information regarding a possible BID’s finances is being disseminated by its sponsors, along with several other breaches of the proposal protocol.
Abingdon is not a Monopoly board for you “here today, gone tomorrow” parish councilors to play with.
I shall make no further comment re this thread until due process has deliberated. END.
Ps, I’ve just sent you the name and address of the person who spoke to me re the swan upping and the TC answer machine, apart from being a family friend of ours for over 25 years, you will see he is long standing Tory stalwart, try telling him he’s a liar too!
A perfect example of why many local councillors are less communicative than would be ideal.
You attempt to broaden public understanding of what is going on and you get hit with a load of rubbish like this.
Iain, surely it ALL should be transparent and be seen to be all “above board”?! If it is (MY!) taxpayers money that you are shelling out, then surely it is MY (and every other residents) RIGHT to know exactly how much you are spending? (And please don’t trot out the line that I have heard some previous cllrs have used…”well you elected me in to do the job, I will do it however I want too!”).
If you are saying that the above posts are “rubbish”, then please enlighten us with the truth as you see it?
And before some people start on about “hijacking” this post, on this blog, I’m sorry, I don’t care WHERE I see it, if you can propose a better medium for letting as many of the towns populace as possible know the answers to the above issues then all well and good….I just want to know the answers, and if this blog/post is best for getting me those answers then I will keep “hijacking” them, along with other concerned residents/businessmen/women, I’m sure?
And if that offends your rose-tinted view of this town, and it’s problems, then I’m afraid that’s tough.
Read the earlier posts Julian – i’ve addressed the points fully there.
Steve can refer me to whichever bodies he likes – I have nothing to hide and am accountable to the electorate and to follow a code of standards, unlike him who just seems to enjoy stirring up conspiracy theories for his own amusement.
I know nothing of the BID details excepting that it seems to me that it looks as though it might be a way of shifting some council expenditure off the council’s books and I’m not sure that it’s going to serve any purpose other than that.
However, I do agree with Julian as he’s grasped that, with the internet, the genie is out of the bottle and not just for those nasty totalitarian states which our smug establishment thought would wilt in an age of more open information.
The internet means it’s cheap and easy to disseminate information, council meetings could be broadcast and there should be no conspiracies as everything could be open.
Our councilors should be flattered that we’re interested in what they’re doing and happy to reveal all the information necessary to prove that there are no conspiracies.
Iain,
“Read the earlier posts Julian – i’ve addressed the points fully there.”
Forgive my ignorance Iain, I have read through your earlier posts, (as listed below) as you suggested, but I must have missed the one where you answer any questions that were actually asked? Apart from suggesting that Steve is not telling the truth, advising Newcomer that he should stand for election, state that comments are “rubbish”, and most typically, for Abingdon TC/Vale/District Cllrs, state once again that any problems to do with the town, we, the ones asking questions, have to ask the Vale/Cranbourne etc! You have said nothing about BID, you have not answered the question as to how much has now been spent on the Guildhall project to date, and you say that just because someone says something that you don’t agree with that they are a “conspiracy theorist”, or a “troll”?!!! (In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people,[1] by posting inflammatory,[2] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[3] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.).
Whilst I can see that some of these posts may not be directly linked to swan-upping, they ARE on topic regarding the fact that this event was NOT publicised well enough, (likewise the market in the Guildhall…I have lived in Abingdon all of my life and never knew about this until it was closing!!!). (And i know that IF I had looked I could have probably found out about them, but I shouldn’t NEED to search….it should be rammed down my throat at every opportunity, using every media outlet available that there is an event happening in our lovely town!) There is not enough made of the fact that we are an historic market town, and certainly not enough done regarding the river!
I appreciate that it is you Iain, and you alone who seems to put your head above the parapet, on all of these issues with the TC, but that shouldn’t have to be the case? I, (and I’m sure the others are the same), am not looking for someone to “blame”, I would just like someone to bang the three councils heads together, to get them to see some sense and work together rather than as three separate entities with all different agenda’s!
Where is this joined up thinking that Daniel has asked numerous times for? Why cannot the three councils actually TALK to one another and do what’s BEST for the town, instead of passing the buck and blaming one another?!!!
9. Iain | July 19, 2014 at 7:44 pm
Yawn – same old same old from a steve king post
I no longer believe a word he says
14. Iain | July 20, 2014 at 7:16 am
Hi Paul
Yes that could be the case but for me I’m afraid Steve is the boy who cried wolf given the all the misinformation he has posted in previous posts
16. Iain | July 20, 2014 at 3:05 pm
Bill
Ref guildhall – pretty much same as last time u asked – i posted on this last week
Ref precinct – suggest you ask scottish widows who are the landlords
Ref cranbourne homes – suggest you ask cranbourne homes
18. Iain | July 20, 2014 at 4:14 pm
You’re asking the wrong person bill – i’m a town councillor.
I know whats going on with town council assets but the precinct is on long term lease from tge vale to swip and the old gaol was sold by vale to cranbourne homes ages before i became a councillor
21. Iain | July 20, 2014 at 7:04 pm
Hester – i’m fed up with it too but am not prepared to let these trolls go unanswered – sorry
Bill – i know you’d rather we didn’t do the cinema project – that’s your view which is fine. The cost stuff is a complete red herring though – if you’d prefer we embarked on a major capital project without engaging suitable professional advice such as architects, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, accoustic engineers then excuse me if i disagree.
I co pletely agree about the £12.5k a month – that’s one of the reasons we’re doing the project. If you have a different view stand for election and you can put it into action.
26. Iain | July 20, 2014 at 11:36 pm
Bill – stand and be counted – party is just an excuse – tgere are loads of independent councillors around the country – we even have one in Abingdon
36. Iain | July 22, 2014 at 11:09 am
A perfect example of why many local councillors are less communicative than would be ideal.
You attempt to broaden public understanding of what is going on and you get hit with a load of rubbish like this.
Apologies for the rant, but I felt that “Read the earlier posts Julian – i’ve addressed the points fully there.” was patronising, especially as you hadn’t actually addressed any of the points, let alone “fully”.
The internet certainly lets the genie out of the bottle; but the genie is at least as much opinion as fact.
Is there a place for confidentiality in social and political discourse?
ppjs, there is a place for confidentiality, but I’d suggest that when there are legitimate concerns about why money is being raised from people and businesses in the Town and how it has been spent/is to be spent then confidentiality should not be an issue. The same applies to the whereabouts of the funds raised by The Vale from the looting of the Town’s assets.
If people have suspicions that the town’s income and funds raised from the sale of assets are not being spent wisely then I think it would be remiss not to find out exactly what has been happening/is intended.
I’d certainly appreciate all of the facts necessary to blow away the need for any opinions. Speculation is what happens to fill gaps in the facts … so lets close the gaps with all the facts..
I’m sure there must be some councilors who, unlike the one recently quoted in The Press, think The Public shouldn’t be kept in the dark.
I do understand newcomers concerns. At the same time, sometimes if you spill the beans too soon, then the deal is off.
That does not mean that asking the questions is wrong; it may mean that the answers don’t always come as fast as we would like.
As Iain regularly comments, if we don’t like what is being done, we have the opportunity to sack councillors at election time. Democracy is slow, but it’s better than the alternatives!
Re Steve King’s post 35, his allegations about a Councillor lying are serious indeed so I have checked the conditions attached to Bid Loan Fund loans and find that ” there is no obligation on the part of the local authority for the debt to be repaid in the event of an unsuccessful ballot.” For the purpose of the BID the Vale is the “accountable body” – no money goes directly to/from Choose Abingdon so Steve is mistaken in his assertion that ChAP and hence the ratepayers would be liable.
Steve has also made a mistake in his calculations about the repayment if the BID does go ahead – the loan is repayable over two years not one.
I hope this clarifies those points at least – for those who want to know more there is a useful Q and A section at http://www.abingdon.gov.uk/system/files/sites/default/files/towncouncil/FAQ%20for%20businesses%20April%2014.pdf More information about the proposal will be going out to businesses shortly and I am sure the website will be updated when that happens.
Hester, I did say in my last I wouldn’t respond to any other posts on this thread, however, I get fed of so called good intention people purporting to know all about everything when clearly they do not.
Iains first para stated that the council tax payer would not be liable to pick up the cost of the £33k (which he now concedes is a loan and if successful would be the liability of the BID)
I’ve just acquired this statement from the office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the BID regulatory body.
“The cost of the ballot must be met by the billing authority, unless turnout is under 20%, in
which case the proposer may be liable for the cost.”
Choose Abingdon Partnership, the Town Council and the District council are all funded by the tax payer, how do you work that one out?
You also said ” Steve has also made a mistake in his calculations about the repayment if the BID does go ahead – the loan is repayable over two years not one.
I hope this clarifies those points at least”
Clearly Hester you have no experience of reading (or understanding) a business balance sheet? it matters not how long the loan is over, 2 years or 20, and no amount of creative accountancy will hide the fact that the £33k liability will sit on the balance sheet, all be it decreasing, until it’s paid in full, just because it may be a two year loan doesn’t mean you can only show half of it as a debt.
Steve – another quick (but polite) correction: what you are referring to here is, as you say, the cost of administering the ballot – that is a tiny fraction of the £33k loan. What I said remains true – the liability for the loan repayments does not fall to the Council tax payer.
Also, believe it or not, some of us “good intention people” -and I am proud to be one – do actually have a background in successful businesses and can actually add up. However I thought that when you mentioned £33k and £60k, “making nearly £100k”, and “first year”, all in one sentence, some of your readers just might have got the impression that all those sums had to be paid in the first year – and wanted to correct that.
It’s interesting that ‘newcomer’ has now become part of the establishment as his posts are now regarded as worth replying to even when posts have nothing to do with the article. I remember the time when ‘he’ used to complain about others doing that.
ChAPS could do a weekly ‘What’s On’ bulletin and distribute it to shops and businesses and public places so that it would be easy to see what was on when just going about your daily Abingdonian business.
I think that in this day of tweeting and texting blah blah to 123456 to get information, we have forgotten the power of talking to each other and also the power of the printed poster with wide distribution. We could take a leaf out of the Daily Info’s book even if we can’t manage it every day!
Well …… I went to the swan upping evening event with the family at the Nags Head, and what a night it was!!! Dancing, music and much merriment! Fabulous!