Today was the day when the people of Ock Street had the chance to vote for their Mayor for next year.
Lesley Arygle was Mayor of Ock Street for seventeen years and still attends the annual day of dance.
There were a lot of Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers out today, many young.
There were fewer visitors. Pictured above are the Berkshere Bedlam, the visiting team, from Wokingham.
Stuart Jackson another ex Mayor of Ock Street held the office for eleven years.
But the real legends of Abingdon Morris Dancing are The Hemmings Family – a dynasty that Mayored Ock Street for much of the twentieth century.
This year Roger Cox was up against two very good candidates, but he won again for the seventh or eighth time, on a very good turnout, and can be seen being chaired along Ock Street.
Behind the scenes the story of this years Mayor Making was that a younger generation have taken over organising the event.
Those photos are making my teeth itch.
I would like to ask on a separate issue . The two big units are still empty is it possible for all the independents to set up in there like a mini mall . This can be until a new major retailer is found it will be like debenhams or john lewis but with local people all in one unit . The units will look great with coffee florists jewelers clothing etc .
Tweets tonight are saying that the refurbishment of the Crown and Thistle may not go ahead as the Town Council want to charge £10, 000 for access across their land ! If true this will be a disaster for the town.
Time someone mentioned that the Morris sides in this town and visitors such as Berkshire Bedlam create a really friendly atmosphere and sense of fun, occasion and tradition.
The blokes in Abingdon Morris may not be your idea of dedicated athletes, but it takes a lot of hours romancing a wife who can sew and get your kit sorted ;0).
That’s unfair … these guys have a great sense of humour about what they’re doing and won’t get tetchy were you to ask them about the history and traditions of Morris. Two of them told me they’d only had three pints by the time they’d got to the Mayor of Ock Street’s Election at The Tap. That’s a bit-of-a-disappointment as I thought they metabolised alcohol calories at a Championship rate.
Congratulations Roger, though I only voted for you three times this year. However, I’ve got to say that there would have been a lot of votes for Morris Dog had he stayed in the race.
A cracking group of fellas and I hope that, next year the people of Abingdon will be out in greater force.
On a personal note, it would be nice to have ‘The Black Border Morris’ aka ‘The Stick People’ back next year. This is Punk Morris at its best. These people wouldn’t care if they spilled your pint and stamped on your foot. They’re not hanky-wavers.
As an aside to abingdon fashion.
Should the Council have £1Million of OUR money to blow on a cinema it might look at going into a business partnership with the leaseholder of Bury Street (Scottish Widows?) and a successful cinema operator (don’t do it DIY … get the professionals in … you don’t have the competence)) to convert the two large Bury Street units into a (small) multiplex which would drag ‘traffic’ into town.
I prefer the word ‘traffic’ over the those-clever-clogs -in-the-know ‘footfall’ as the parking problem would need a bit of intelligent thinking, or uncommon sense.
A first-release cinema on Bury Street run by people who know what they are doing (and not amateurs), would reinvigorate the town centre.
You know, if there’s a million quid there it’d be better to spend it with someone who knows what they’re doing and get all kindsa folk milling into town to see all kindsa movies and not just a trickle for art-house stuff and live opera transmissions (really, this is one of the ‘big ideas’).
it’s just too obvious for those in The Know
There has been a lot of positive comments on the new units being used tempory by the local indies . The indies are already here once the big retailers see us in there they will want them . We have been told Didcot will get a 20,000 sq feet shopping centre the footfall from Abingdon has already drifted over there while units were being built , lets all get in the new units like a covered market and promote this town all under one roof .
Newcomer
There are a number of issues with your idea:
1. Tge £1m is specifically tied to the guildhall
2. The rent and rates for two large units in the precinct would be a six figure sum – these costs are sunk if we operate from the guildhall
3. Similarly many operatibg costs, utilities, some staffing etc are sunk in using a building which is already operating
No decision is taken on whether/how we work with the private sector. There are some decisions that need to be taken first such as whether we set up a charitable trust which makes a difference to the ability to attract grant funding and can potentially allow relief on business rates – this is complicated for a numver of reasons including vat status. I agree with you that some aspects would be best left to the private sector eg programming, possibly concessions, and it could be possible to get a private sector partner to run the whole show, but there would be much exploration necessary before we could reach a decision on the merits of that approach.
I’m not suggesting that the town invest in the two large retail units, I’m suggesting that the town encourage/facilitate a commercial cinema group to move there should they see a commercial case. I don’t think the town should get involved with running a cinema at all. It doesn’t matter who operates a cinema as long as its viable and can generate traffic for the town centre.
Whatever happens there needs to be a feasibility study before any money is raised from increasing council tax. In any case, the Government seem to be preparing expectations for a cut in local government funding.
I have to agree with Newcomer . this town comes second to Didcot they have a better shops , better parking facilities , and a multiscreen cinema if we put in a poxy 100 seat cinema in the guildhall that also has no parking we will not attract anyone . The town needs a commercial cinema group like cineworld or Vue please do not try to do a budget cinema you will just waste time and money . I also like Abingdon fashions idea of all the favourite local shops in the new units till a big name is found .
Also they could be used on rainy market days pitch up inside . I wonder who will go into the qs store any ideas ?
Iain nobody is going to pay six figure sum for those units in this town . They might if the town was thriving and booming but at the moment it is empty there are shop owners who have shops costing 10-20 k who can not survive in the town . The rent and rates for this town are well over priced if you want to save the town use the 1 million and pay all the rates for a year for the shops that are here or risk more closures .
My understanding (I think this is worth reiterating) is that the £Million is the £Million that would be required to build a 100-seate cinema as part of a Guildhall redevelopment.
My grasp of the overall situation is that The Town Council bought the Guildhall off The Vale for £1 (yes, that’s one pound sterling) who sweetened the deal by giving The Town Council £1.25 million to ‘get on with it’.
One wonders which party thought it was getting the better side of the deal ;0)
The Town Council has spent £250,000 tarting up the older and nicer part of the Guildhall and not the rubbish building which was put up in the Seventies (?).
There’s £1 million left to ‘invest’ in the rubbish part of the Guildhall to make it attractive and useful to the community.
However, to meet the full-blown suggested plan (suggested by the architects who’d REALLY like to build it … one wonders why) including the cinema, requires a further £2.5 million, which would be raised by hiking the council tax. There’s a ‘graduation of alternatives’ with escalating costs and the 100-seater, £1 million cinema being the cherry on the top.
This is my understanding and I’m sure Iain will correct me should I be misleading you.
Something I can be clear about is that I think Iain’s been given the short straw of trying to pull an entertainment venue out of the Guildhall hat. Frankly, I think he must be a masochist.
For ages on this and other town forums I’ve been writing that no-one seems to have a vision of what Abingdon town centre is going to be for in the future..
It’s easy to be critical so I’ll describe my ‘vision’. I reckon that there’ll be some (but less) retail and the focus will be social and cultural. There’s already a ‘benign arc’ of pubs and restaurants building from The Tap via Ask, Wetherspoons (to come), The Kings Head & Bell, Crown & Thistle (to be reborn), The Broadface and The Nags (sorry, I know I’ve missed out some key noteworthy places like The Museum, which is the town’s signature building). This has the makings of an attractive social destination.
A proper cinema would be a major plus and I see it in Bury Street disgorging happy potential shoppers into a retail paradise twice a day, but only once on Sundays.
Were it possible I’d give Iain the authority to negotiate with Scottish Widows, major cinema chains and whoever else along the lines that the Town Council would clear the planning route for a cinema on the site of the two large retail units occupying the one structural ‘shell’ (note: no Town money involved). He should have the power to make the inner ring road’ one-way once more and pull down the recently developed part of the Old Goal to make a car park (which would be a major improvement).
As for Abingdon Fashion’s idea. I was in Skipton recently and someone had set up a kinda ‘Hot-Stall’ situation in a largish retail space that was doing nothing. People could rent a stall for one day a week and/or longer It was a bit ‘hippy’, though these things tend to be, but it was active and giving people an outlet. As a start I’d consider the big hall in the Guildhall as an experiment.
That said the shop-owners in Abingdon need to make a living and we don’t want to be the town which ate its own tail.
Bricks and mortar do not a venue make … it’s what happens inside the building. That’s why The Millennium Dome was such an abject failure while the politicians were in charge.
Whatever is done must thrive due to commercial success and not be propped-up by dipping into council tax.
it’s way past tea-time. I’m off.
@newcomer you would get my vote for Mp . Are you listening council give us what we want don’t keep telling us what we want its our money and our town .
Gentlemen – i’m not sure where to start on this one.
I think you’d need to start on some fairly major structural change around the relevant powers of the local authorities to achieve most of the above.
I’m not sure whether i should be flattered with the offer of the post of chief negotiator for the people’s republic of newcomer- moodiville. Are you thinking of prevailing on my massochistic nature to get me to accept the role or are you thinking of converting the guildhall back to its old purpose of a gaol to establish a suitable venue for coersion? 🙂
Iain if you put some second rate cinema and spend 1 million in doing so i guarantee there will be a riot . The money could be better spent put it towards the budget for a bridge to help the traffic from culham or use 10k of it to use for your land on the crown and thistle .
Obviously whatever we build will not be second rate, and my suspicion is you will be very lonely at your riot.
I’d love to know what you think you’re persistently negative comments will achieve? Nobody in authority will pay any attention to anonymous posts on a blog. If you actually want to change anything do what i did and get yourself off of the sofa and try and do something.
You can volunteer for various organisations, or stand for election, or even set up a business. You’ll find it’s harder than you think, and whatever you do or say gets criticised by someone (admittedly it’s usually you so you may find it easier).
On a personal note, Iain, don’t consider a career in comedy. It’s neither your speed, nor your forte.
I’m sure were you to lard enough of OUR money on the architects and developers that they could build a pretty spiffy bijou picture palace which would not be second rate..
However, this is not the point. The point is whether what happens in the building would be attractive enough to be financially viable. Is this too complex for you to understand? I’m sure Moody has a grasp and could explain it to you.
Yes, you’re right. I was flattering you. I wouldn’t trust you to negotiate with Scottish Widows and cinema operatives. I was being kind … it’s my weakness.
You mistake not understanding you with not agreeing with you. I think i’ve answered enough of your frankly rude posts for one day
Tush, Tush Iain. So touchy when your intelligence might be iimpugned when you’re so free implying that other people don’t have the same grasp of the situation as yourself.
Quite frankly I’ve had enough of trying to point out the error of your ways for one day.
@Newcomer – the problem with your suggestions is that there is not enough space available in Abingdon combind with a large enough market for a viable commercial cinema operation.
The cinema at Didcot is only there because South Oxfordshire paid for the building. Newbury’s new cinema was similar.
There is a lot of support for a cinema in Abingdon, but we’re probably only going to get one if we are willing to pay a large chunk of the cost.
Personally I think it can work as part of the Guildhall redevelopment, but only if we are willing to fund it on an ongoing basis.
Iain you did not become a counselor for the money then i guess you do it out of kindness as you care about Abingdon so much . This is the place to be heard and is public every time anyone mentions anything relating to the council or counselor you want to meet in private to keep us quiet and not to let anyone the truth. You say you want to do something try going round local shops and ask the owners how good the town is or send a questionnaire to every house in town what is right and wrong about the town .
Not forgetting Neil, that John Prescott allowed Didcot to have theirs and would not allow the plans for the cinema in Abingdon to go ahead. After a lot of preparatory work done by the Vale District council, there was a perfectly good cinema scheme, developer ready, funding available, local shuttle bus ready to roll, night club reay to relocate planned for the site near Tesco, but John Prescott decided it would put too much strain on the A34 and called it in. Very soon after the Didcot plan was approved. Th cinical amongst us wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that Didcot was Labour controlled and Abingdon was not.
Come on people, its not always the councils’ fault when the town doesn’t get what it wants.
I meant cynical – where’s a spell checker when you need one!
Angela, it’s sometimes the council’s fault when the Town gets what it doesn’t want.
Again newcomer you are confusing what you want with what the town want – you must have noticed by now that not everyone shares your view on this
Iain … you’re just too self-reichtious and it’s pointless offering any alternative perspective as you’re trapped in your prejudices..
There are a lot of alternative views expressed on this Blog and you shouldn’t dismiss them in such an off-hand manner.
I think it’s futile trying to open any dialogue with you.
Newcomer, we can never please everyone. There are always going to be things the town council provides which please many and don’t please a few and even anger a few. As long as it is a different few each time that are not pleased and there is nothing that no-one likes then the councils have probably got it as right as is possible.
Soemthings are beyond our abilty to control. The TC has increasded the footfalll dramatically since we employed someone to organise regular market place events. We can bring people into the town centre – and have done – but we can’t make them spend their money in the local shops, when buying on-line or in the supermarkets is such a draw.