The view looking down the river has hardly changed since 1981. But 25 years ago (give or take a week):

• The Old Gaol was closing for three months to be redecorated (In 2006 it has been closed for three years looking for a new use)
• Personnel from RAF Abingdon paraded past the County Hall to celebrate 41 years since the Battle of Britain (this year we will see two army parades)
• The County Council told the District Council that if Abingdon continued to expand so quickly it would have to get developers to fork out more towards creating new roads and infrastructure (In 2006 the County Council recoups some money by selling off the Kingfisher site on Blacknall Road to private developers.)
• Local people presented a petition protesting about the proposed building of 1,000 new homes on the land of Long Furlong Farm (Assuming this was the Long Furlong Estate ,people were given a say in that development and in 2006 we can see it turned out very well. )
• The new Cross Roads garage had opened on Drayton Road and promised alongside the cars, pleasant floral displays to brighten up the road ( the garage closed this year but Abingdon still has lots of blooms)
• 60,000 people went to the RAF Abingdon air show. The high point was a display by the red arrows. (this year the RAF return-show did not quite come off but we are told it will happen next year, and we do have Abingdon Fayre – a runaway self-generated success)



• Animal rescuer, Albert Honey, was appealing in the Abingdon Herald for people out fishing to be more considerate towards swans (Last week in the Abingdon Herald we had “Plea for Anglers to take care of Swans” this time from animal resuer Diana Davies.)
• In 1981 Barratts were building riverside homes (They are back doing the same thing)