Abingdon has unveiled a new signpost outside the Guildhall and council offices in Bridge Street. This signpost points visitors towards the town’s five twin towns and two sister cities: Abingdon, Virginia (USA) and Thames, New Zealand.
The arrows on the signpost not only indicate direction but also display the distance to each location and the national flag of the respective town or city.
The formal unveiling ceremony, held on Europe Day (May 9th, 2024), was officiated by Mayor of Abingdon, Councillor Gwyneth Lewis. Plans are underway to install a new notice board near the signpost, providing further information about Abingdon’s twinning relationships.
The European flag flew over the County Hall during the day.
Jolly good and happy to know there’s nothing else that the Town Council’s tax precepts could be spent upon…
The Councillors will at least be able to glance at it as they process from the refurbished civic rooms and courtyard to St Helen’s or the roof of the former County Hall. They may even stop for a drink at the water fountain with signs promoting it that do not compliment the buildings to which they are attached (and a meter, were it fitted, that might reveal the cost of fitting and dispensing per litre to date, exceeds that of French mountain water sold by Waitrose).
The Councillors might even be able to stay over after their walkabout in the former Town Council Building that is now rented apartments and look over the painted (and costly to fix) stone cladding of the (Vale / Town shuffled) Guildhall…
Am I jaded? Yes. Is it justified? I hope not but fear so.
No point stopping at the water fountain atm – it’s not working.
What a lovely sign.
Could I suggest one is added to it….
“Hinksey outdoor pool 6.2miles”
I’ve ridden past it most days this week….what a wonderful hustle and bustle there is …kids playing, the chitter chatter of life and happy people using their community asset…there were even ice cream vans selling refreshments!
What a lovely thing to have – an outdoor swimming pool, to have available to use during the warm hazy days of spring in to summer…. Good idea to have it open now, they must be raking in the cash. What a good business idea …
ps….Who uses km to measure distance….?
Why are the sign posts in kilometres when we use miles in this country?
We actually use both distance measurements generally, (ever been on a 5k or 10k charity run? Also anyone under 40 was taught both measurements at school. 🙂 ) But it’s true there are only miles on our road signs. It would make sense for the sign to have both of the measurements as they have been on car speedos for many years too.
But I do really like the sign, it’s a nice thing. I remember exchange students visiting Abingdon from some of the twinned towns years ago.
Maybe it’s a positive step to try and move the UK (or what will be left of it) into the modern era and use the metric system like most sensible countries
I think these distances are “as the crow flies”. You’ll travel more than 338km (210) miles to get to Argentan from Abingdon. Perhaps, crows use kms rather than miles? I think not.
Nice sign though.
Hopefully they will also update the existing finger post signs to places in the town itself – it is not easy for visitors to find their way around.