Abingdon nightlife is still closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and there were a lot of people out walking this evening on the banks of the River Thames in Abingdon.
We crossed Abingdon Bridge.
Then walked along, seeing St Helen’s Church silhouetted with the sun setting behind.
Somebody has hung up masks from a tree, and they caught the last sun of the day.
We then walked back towards Abingdon Lock. There were lots of geese and insects about in Rye Farm Meadow.
The Environment Agency said on May 7th ‘Government restrictions due to Coronavirus 2020: these restrictions aim to stop all non-essential travel and minimise contact to slow the spread of the virus. A transit van is blocking navigation in the Iffley reach. Osney Lock has a mechanical failure. Sandford and Abingdon Locks have been damaged through misuse. Marsh Lock currently has a tree blocking vessel passage. Sunbury Lock has a sunken boat in the main channel above the lock cut.’
The water in Abingdon Lock is looking stagnant through not being used.
There is a long narrow pathway over the weir and people walk both ways, and so advice is given on observing social distancing rules.
Back in Abingdon there is a shop in Lombard Street that is between lessees, and the windows have been covered with newspapers from April 1st and before.
It includes Prize Sudoku and people panic buying toilet paper.
These days the supermarket shelves are full of toilet paper. When I went shopping last week, for a house I support, the things on the list that I could not find were self raising flour, and soda crystals. It varies. The previous time it was eggs and frozen fruit.
You would have a job keeping social distancing crossing the wider. Would it work better it it was a one way system.?
It usually works very well – or has done during the “real” lockdown – although I have to say that some runners seem slightly less willing to wait than most walkers!
I did notice a problem yesterday on the bridge by the Nags Head: the pavement is very narrow there and during the lockdown the convention has been to step (carefully!) into the road to allow people to pass, but yesterday there was so much traffic that that was very tricky.
I have always felt that the speed limit should be 20 mph coming out of Abingdon, up to the football/cricket ground entrances.
Police are advising people NOT to step into the road irrespective of maintaining a 2 metre distance when passing, they say the relative short time of closer contact is not likely to be of any consequence.
I wonder how you damage a lock due to misuse? II know they have been on manual hand wind so maybe pushing gates open with boats.
‘One-way systems’ for pedestrians? If you are going to achieve ‘distancing’ on a constricted footpath by stepping into the road (anywhere, not just Nags Head Br) it should be those who are facing any oncoming traffic who do the stepping out. You will then at least have a chance of seeing the vehicle that is about to injure you !