This year, Pure Marie (Bath Street, Abingdon) are supporting the Movember charity – dedicated to raising awareness and funds for Men’s Health by encouraging men everywhere to grow a moustache throughout the month of November! They have a scarf in honour of the charity.
This old postcard of mine shows the sort of effect Movember are trying to achieve. Twenty one out of twenty three men have a moustache. Press the image to check if I’m right
The mini version of Abingdon Hydro has been on the road for about three years now.
The aspiration is to generate electricity from the water flowing over Abingdon Weir.
In the last year some major hurdles have been cleared. The environment agency has granted the scheme a license, with conditions. Last week Councillors, on the district council planning committee, gave it unanimous support, with conditions. There has also been the need to ensure, for anglers, that fish spawning grounds are protected and fish passes are provided, and, for canoeists, that white water is still available as before.
So a simple aspiration to do something locally for the environment has become quite a major project.
Undaunted, Richard Riggs, and other people backing the scheme, with their money and time, have overcome many obstacles. They still have work to do. But given their determination so far they look a good bet to make the project happen.
Finally a co-operative will be set up into which we all can invest. See Abingdon Hydro for more details.
There were sail boats and rowing boats on the River Thames in Abingdon this morning, but unlike a year ago no steam was rising from the giant cooling towers of Didcot ‘A’ Power Station. The coal fired Didcot ‘A’ Power Station has been decommissioned and some of its transformers have already been transported away. The cooling towers, love them or hate them, will soon be gone.
More efficient, and less visible, gas powered generators have taken over at Didcot.
This weekend the Nags Head has a first anniversary Beer Festival with twenty beers. The most popular was the new Porter from the Abingdon based Loose Cannon Brewery. (The festival will continue on Monday and Tuesday at a discount for those beers that did not sell out.)
This weekend also saw the first firework displays of the year, including the Nags Head 1st anniversary celebration fireworks at 9:30 last night.
More fireworks tonight (Sunday 3rd Nov 2013) at Abingdon Town Football Club as a fund raiser for the Abingdon Sea Cadets. Tickets are £3 per person under 6’s FREE. The event runs from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Saturday 9th November at Long Furlong Community Centre, Abingdon, will be the 2nd Abingdon Scouts Fireworks.