There is a new sculpture in the public area on the riverside of the Old Gaol development.
The sculpture is made of three interlocking octagons, and is lit up in three colours at night. The octagon could well represent the octagonal central block of the old Gaol, from which the three cell blocks project.
But Octagons are commonplace in Abingdon. There is the badge of the MG – a car formally made in Abingdon. There is also the Octagon Restaurant at the Four Pillars Hotel. Somebody in an open top MG asked me yesterday for the way to the Four Pillars Hotel. I directed them from the town centre to the hotel near the Marcham Interchange off the A34 – back the way they had just come.
It’s an octagon to rub our noses in the fact that “we ‘ate” what they’ve done….
It would have looked much better with the willow tree beside it.
Cheap trashy unwanted, another blight to our riverside, right at an entry to Abingdon on Thames.
I thought that was now the Oxford Abingdon Hotel? The Four Pillars are only on Abingdon Road and Sandford.
I agree with all of the above and thought that since they started maintaining the river frontage it looked fine (apart from the missing tree), quite what that octagonal ‘thing’ represents, who payed for it or why it’s there I’ll probably never know. Anyone tried launching themselves through the middle when it’s lit… could be some kind of portal to another realm lol! 😉
Does anyone know if the developer has actually payed for the property yet? I’m not sure if this is right but I was told by someone who used to be on a local parish council until recently that the deal was full payment would only happen once all the flats were sold.
Showing my geekery here, but Badger’s portal comment brought to mind the classic Star Trek episode City on the Edge of Forever (the one starring Joan Collins) where they go through the ‘Guardian’ portal which is nearly octagonal…
Nothing wrong with a bit of classic Star Trek Annabel, the portal thing reminded me of another sci-fi series called ‘Sliders’ not sure if many people here have seen that though. I’d like to think an Octagonal portal would transport people to and from a time when MG ruled the world.
… or maybe back to Royal Berkshire – after all the Old Gaol was built as the County Gaol when Abindon was the County Town of Berkshire. I know many of our longstanding residents feel the 1974 boundary change was the start of all our problems…..
It’s meaningless, it illuminates, it’s hideous.
It wasnt just Abingdon that affected – caused loads of problems in Scotland (where I lived at the time) and was also frequently criticised in Yorkshire (where I’ve lived subsequently) for abolshing the old ridings.
A terrible piece of legislation for rural England driven entirely by the needs of the cities.
Badger…I believe that the hugely underpriced deal that was very poorly struck by the ex-sperts at The Veil (whose wages we pay) and the developers was that the very cheap price to be paid to “us” (negotiated on our behalf by those said ex-sperts) would be done so upon completion of the development. That’s why I reckon at Canborne towers there’ll be a golden screw in a glass case on the MD’s desk. This will be “the final screw” for the development, that will never get screwed and so the development will never get “finished” and so The Veil will never get paid…. And so starts the legend of “The £2m screw”….
Of course it’s a pertinent metaphor… As Abingdon’s been screwed over for years. How apt.
4 pillars have 2. Oxford Spires (Abingdon Road) and Oxford Thames (Sandford on Thames).
4 pillars is owned by a US Bighospitality group.
Oxford Abingdon Hotel (OAH) is on its own,
from the second photo i assumed it was a rainbow 😉
The notice board seems to say that ‘Unit 1’ is Let. Does that signify that one of the proposed restaurants is actually going to be opened?
Cassandra…that “let” “fell through” apparently…. Hashtag smileyface… My money is on no units being let and the developer going back to the Fail and pleading that they haven’t been able to let them so “can we please have a change of use and turn them into luxury apartments?”
Was speaking to the builders doing work inside they said was sold but could not say who it was and will be open middle September
Perhaps the new owner will have the good sense to have the cheap trashy thing removed, to be replaced by say a weeping willow tree. Much more attractive and in keeping with the (public?) riverside area.
Daniel – Oddly my friend who told me about the arrangement had a similar theory… make one flat unaffordably expensive… either it never sells or if it does pays for the whole development in one go.
Dave – ‘Public’ riverside area? I think not… often the magnetically locked access gate next to the bridge is unlocked though so I did wonder about entering via that to see if I was ejected… and of course to test out the ‘portal’ theory 🙂
Badger – it is not chance that the gate is sometimes unlocked: as a result of pressure put on by the Community in the Old Gaol group at the time of the sell-off, it was a condition of the sale and planning permission that public access should be available to the riverside. The agreement says this should be at any time when any of the restaurants on the site are open for business, but clearly it would be unreasonable to refuse it now that building work is finished, even though the restaurants are not yet in use.
The route through to East St Helen St AND the route round the back of the OG building are supposed to be open 9-5 except. Sundays and Public Holidays.. As far as I know, the former is generally open on that basis, but I am not sure about the latter – maybe some of you who regularly walk around those parts could take a look?
hester – Many thanks, I wouldn’t have known that but for this blog, next time I’m passing I’ll pop in and have a look around, the last time I stood in that area would have been in the mid to late 1970’s.
I’m still annoyed that the original builders have failed to keep their promise and allow access to cut through for pedestrians from Broad Face pub area to East St Helen Street.
Spike – as I sad above, the commitment was to open it 9-5 Mon-Sat – are you saying that it isn’t? If so, please tell the Vale planning people – they were quite helpful when we raised it with them a couple of yeas ago and we thought it had been sorted. NB – the gates often look as if they are locked, but they aren’t – you just have to push them!
Hester – Tested access through OG development and also onto riverside lawn a few mins ago, all gates to those areas open. Riverside area very nice and quiet but I guess will busier when/if restaurants have access.
Octagonal stargate inactive 🙁 , I assume it only works when gates are locked and its lit? 😉
Thanks Badger – maybe w can get Philip Pullman over to get to work on the Octagon?
Hester – Probed their defences again just after 5pm and all solidly locked shut.
Whilst we quite rightly should be grateful for small mercies (just look at the lovely flowers), is it “good” that all that was conceeded by the developer on this (despite COGs best efforts), is public access when most of that public are at work and so nowhere near?
I can’t help feel it is a smack in the face, and more 2 fingers stuck up at us and waving from ‘them’.. more “Look what they managed to get away with”.
I don’t mean to take away from the efforts made by people far better than I am, to have achieved what they achieved for us… But it isn’t “you”, it’s “them”.
I refuse to be told that I have to be grateful for being thrown some breadcrumbs, when the people of Abingdon rightly deserve the full KFC family bucket – with sides!
Daniel
I can assure you that back in 2008 we were pretty gutted with the outcome – we had fought for a LOT more than that; we had a whole range of ideas for how parts of the site could provide real useful community facilities; and I dont think anyone is telling you that you “have to be grateful” for what we have got. I just want to make sure that people know – and use it – otherwise we may lose that too.
But there are still plenty of things to work for – for example, the Vale are asking community groups for input into their plans for the new play areas planned for Abbey Meadow – that sounds pretty important to me and people like you are much better placed to comment on that than us oldies; also, there will be more to do on the Guildhall – the TC will need to find ways to bring people in to the new facility so hopefully will be consultiing widely on what we would like to see in there.
Hester, thanks; just to clarify, COG is one of my first memories from when I first landed in Abingdon and I do not doubt at all the efforts made to get what was best for the people – I apologise if it came across as a failing on your part.
The breadcrumbs are fed to the proletariat by ..whoever…The Veil, The Developer etc…to keep us quiet…that’s what I meant. Sometimes the mists of frustration make my rants even more unfathomable…
I must ask though, to who did COGs ideas flow to? My worry, concern, fear, is that it will be to the same people as are asking US about Abbey Meadow. Just because they are asking for our opinion….doesn’t mean they will act on it. I ask my kids what they want for Christmas every year….and although the Argos laminated book of dreams comes out…they only end up getting a walnut and a Satsuma.
Unfortunately, I am not part of any community group either…so…that may rule me out anyway… But I do appreciate what you are saying.
And, with regards the Guildhall…that scares me even more. Surely the workings out of how to get people to use the facility should have been worked out before hand….!??!??!? No one goes on Dragons Den and says – “I’m going to make you a fortune!”, “How”?, “I’m not sure yet, I’m still working on the detail”….