Painting the bell bollards … Saturday Country Market

Abingdon Country Market - This Saturday
Yesterday, Oxfordshire County Council painted the bell bollards outside St Nicolas Church to make them easier to see.

Christmas cards for charities are on sale inside the church. There are a good selection of about twenty charities – not as many charities as in a usual year.
Abingdon Country Market - This Saturday
The nativity scene at St Nic’s becomes visible as the sun goes down. It also plays Christmas Carols.

By the end of next week school pupils will break up for the Christmas Holidays.
Abingdon Country Market - This Saturday
The Salvation Army have their own nativity scene – with a rainbow behind.
Abingdon Country Market - This Saturday
Over the road, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks have unearthed a large bundle of cables outside the Co-op. It has been like that for a couple of days now.
Abingdon Country Market - This Saturday
Abingdon Country Market will be on at the Salvation Army this Saturday from 10 am with their usual assortment of jams and chutneys, and cakes (including mince pies).

12 thoughts on “Painting the bell bollards … Saturday Country Market

  1. Phil

    I haven’t noticed those fine bollards before!

    These fine specimens are worthy of being brought to the attention of The World Bollard Association, @WorldBollard

    Reply
    1. Charlie Bath

      I really wish the nice black and white striped gates around Albert Park would get repainted to smarten them up- I love that park and the crescent so much, beautiful! Guessing that the council might not have that responsibility though if it’s technically private roads 🙁

      Reply
  2. PPJS

    @ Daniel

    I wonder whether there has to be some degree of commercial confidentiality. This is neither to defend or protest; it is simply a hunch.

    Reply
    1. Daniel

      Over the nitty-gritty – like what social housing not to build. Or what their reduction in a payment plan will be….but surely “who is interested” isn’t?

      I guess “The Veil” strikes again…

      Reply
    2. Hester

      Daniel/PPJS
      The Friends of Abingdon Civic Society is delighted that the decision (whatever it is!) has been called in by the Scrutiny Committee. We have a lot of concerns about the process that has been followed – see our website – and will be making representations to the Scrutiny Committee.
      We will be pointing out that while we recognise that bidders’ identities and the amounts bid may need to be confidential at this stage, there are plenty of other aspects to the decision which are not commercially confidential and we hope that these will be discussed in open session.

      Reply
  3. newcomer

    I suspect I’m like Daniel and not drawn in by this ‘commercial confidentiality’ crap. I’m not persuaded by those tainted by the Old Gaol fiasco … who voting on this ‘project’ were voting on the Old Goal, Hester? Do they bear scrutiny?

    This is the VoWH clawing back the pittace of £1.2 million they ‘gifted the TC … it’s so pathetic.

    Choice time … this town keeping it’s ‘patina’, or some chancers skrewing it up?

    Reply
    1. Hester

      Interesting question, Newcomer. It’s a good job I never throw anything away, so was able to find a list of Councillors among my Old Gaol records from 2007.

      The future of Old Abbey House has – somewhat surprisingly- never appeared on the agenda for the full Council during the last 18 months. The only time it has come up there has been when members of the public raised it. Any decisions have been taken by Cabinet members and even those have mostly been in informal discussions – the 4 December meeting is the only time it has been on the agenda for a formal meeting. (We only know about the earlier discussions as a result of a Freedom of Information request.)

      As far as I can see, only two of the Cabinet members (i.e those who voted on this) were Councillors in 2007 – Andrew Crawford and Judy Roberts. (Seven other Councillors remain from 2007 – 5 Lib Dems and 2 Conservatives).

      I think the majority of the officers involved are also new since 2007 – certainly none of them were in senior positions then.

      Reply
  4. PPJS

    Thanks, Hester. Commercial confidentiality has to be a consideration for the Council when it is negotiating with a potential developer. Otherwise, developers will simply withdraw.

    However, that is certainly not a reason for stalling public discussion of other, wider issues, so that both the Council and the developer know what is what. And we should certainly expect tough environmental and infrastructural planning conditions to be imposed and adhered to – with financial penalty clauses for any breach or shortfall.

    Reply
    1. Julian Annells

      PPJS
      Planning conditions don’t mean a thing. The Vale won’t enforce them and the developers know that. (Old Gaol Willow, Oxford Rd development shrubs and trees decimated, and soon the North Abingdon development will be sold before infrastructure is put in).

      Reply

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