
In the Market Place this morning there was a ‘Summer’ craft fair, during which three different music groups performed. Pictured are Abingdon Concert Band, whose next concert is Saturday 13th July, where they will be playing favorites of their departing musical director. (Tickets from The Bookstore or Newbury Building Society.)

Also there were Revd Richard and wife Ann, from Trinity. Recently Trinity voted to ask Richard to stay for another 5 years, but the church area governing body want to use his talents elsewhere, so sadly he will be with Trinity for just one more year.

This event is organised by Marianne from the town council (not pictured). There were about sixteen stalls and would have been more but the windy conditions were difficult.

The Open Air Food was delicious, especially after a swim in the Open Air Pool. I was the only there this morning. Where are all those people who protested to keep the pool open a few year ago?
Sale of Contents at The Crown and Thistle

The Crown and Thistle will be closed for about four months, starting next Monday, while refurbishment takes place.

There will be a sale of contents on 18th/19th June 2013 in the car park.

I’m not sure if the stocks will be for sale, but most things will have to go, and the proceeds will go to Charity I believe.
Abingdon Town Council Meeting – June 2013
All the big decisions had been made in committees and so most matters went through with a nod. The meeting was finished in under an hour. So I am scouring the committee papers for something to report…
On the museum committee “Members did not consider that a display of photographs from the 2013 Passion Play was suitable for an exhibition”.

Amenities and Recreation committee minutes say “MG Garden was almost complete apart from a few minor jobs”

The planning committee did not like Greene King’s new design for The Broad Face pub sign. They found the sign showing a gallows “inappropriate and insensitive”.
They had no objection to a change of use from a Jessops retail store (A1 use) to a mixed class coffee shop (A1/A3) to serve the existing adjacent Costa Coffee. Costa are to expand.
They had no objections to the refurbishment of the Crown and Thistle.

They did not like, and recommended refusal of, the plans to 57-59 Stert Street because they believe it contravenes 7 separate planning policies.
They also objected to the siting of a modular building, over one-storey, to provide a house room at Abingdon School for a period of five years. The district council, who make the final decision, did approach the chair of planning, Councillor Mike Badcock, and asked him to reconsider the decision of his committee. He refused. The committee decision stands.

The planning committee had no objections to the re-development plans for the Viney / Homebase side of the Fairacres Retail Park.
The town council also gave a decent sized grant of £12.5K to The Abingdon Bridge for a Drugs and Alcohol abuse project. And £600 to Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers for “repairs and renewal of costume and regalia”.
Radio Abingdon Xtra – nearly there

Radio Witney has already taken off. Local radio stations do work in this age of the world wide web .
Mark from Radio AbingdonXtra was there at the recent music in the park.
The radio station has two regular DJs producing programs that can be listened to at any time on-line. Sam Colmer has been creating a weekly program featuring music from local bands for some time. He has been joined by Stuart Brackley doing programs about the music he is passionate about: blues and soul. Both sound very good and there are impending plans for more programs.

The Nag’s Head is now provided the main sponsorship which will give the radio station a licence to play main stream music 24X7 over the internet.
But to make this radio station unique to Abingdon, they need, between the music, local content which only community groups and societies and people can provide. They need features where local people go in and talk, and make podcasts (short digital programs) about what they care about.