By the banks of the River Ock, between Tesco and the Ladygrove Estate, the flowers of Himalayan Balsam provide colour where once there were just nettles and brambles.
It gives more nectar than native flowers and so attracts the insects. Pinch the seedpods and they explode sending their seeds into the river some metres away.
Himalayan Balsam is considered an invasive species. Groups helped eradicate it from the Ock Valley Walk nearer to town. But it thrives in the empty fields between Tesco and the Ladygrove estate, in view of Abingdon Motorcycles.
Indeed it is invasive Backstreeter, about 5 years volunteers from Dalton Barracks removed all of the plants along the Ock Valley walk from Ock Bridge to St Helens, but it’s back in abundance, moreover any landowner who’s land it may be growing has a legal obligation to remove and destroy it, the banks of the Thames are overgrown with the stuff !
I know it’s a nuisance (and it smells horrid), but the seed pods are such fun to play with! Poke them when they’re absolutely ripe and dry, and they make you jump every time! Such joy.
Sorry to introduce a serious note but residents have reported cars drug dealing at the entrance to Peachcroft Park and outside Thameside School. Apparently the two who were involved in the shooting of the woman in Abingdon had been dealing heroin in Albert Park I have been told although this was well known on the street the police did nothing. Why is there apparently no such thing as police detection in Abingdon? Is it because of police cuts? Incidentally it is no use trying to contact the newly appointed Police Commissioner as he has such contempt for residents he never answers his emails.
Janet, I think backstreeter is a governor at that school? Sadly drug dealing is rife in Abingdon and we can’t get the wine’os removed from the town centre then we have little chance of making any headway against the druggies !
Bet its less invasive than more houses though……
Drug dealing is rife everywhere;
The multi storey car park after dark (kids as young as 13)
Albert Park
Boxhill has always got young teens to adults dealing.
Behind the BP garage
The Grapes
Sad state of our times. Years ago, you would sneak a fag during school lunchtime and perhaps be allowed half a shandy with your parents at the weekend. Now, kids don’t want to socialise with their families and rather than smoking ciggies, they jump straight to weed.