From this angle on Wilsham Road the Old Gaol looks much as it always has.
From Abingdon Bridge the new accommodation, next door, is more obvious.
I have no hard news on progress but building work continues. By now restaurant groups may have been invited to tender for the three restaurants, and some of the luxury apartments may have been sold.
A detail of the previous picture shows a heron watching from an undisturbed spot – reflected in the water.
The final one is from the garden of St Ethelwolds.
I am suprised to see quite so many new signs fixed round Abbey House pointing to the Council Chamber entrance.
There are two very grand entrances to Abbey House, the home of the Vale of White Horse District Council, but the door to the Council Chamber is not one of them. The new Council Chamber is really just a committee room entered through a small external door, and can be easily missed.
Tonight’s District Council Full Council meeting (Wed 14th Dec at 7pm) is at the Guildhall, now owned by the Town Council. So on this occasion Don’t follow signs to the Council Chamber Entrance!
Just looking at the agenda for anything of interest tonight …
A cross party motion …
Motion to be proposed by Councillor Angela Lawrence and seconded by Councillor Peter Jones: This council resolves to use every channel available to it to persuade the Government to alter planning law to recognise that a local public house becoming a shop is a change of use…
Agreement to changes to Abbey shopping centre plans that came through public consultation…. This £4M revamp by Scottish Widows has already been approved last week by the district planning committee, and there is a virtual fly through tour you can take on Youtube. Work to start in February and targeted for completion by Autumn 2012. …
Consultation on development to the Charter area should happen in Spring 2012 with plans by Autumn.
Behind the County Hall the pavement is getting the ‘York’ stone look now so familiar in the town centre.
The lift shaft is even deeper in the middle since the last time I managed to get a picture.
(With all the rain of the last day I should imagine it could get tricky working down there.)
Our Prime minister took the decision to use the veto against a new EU treaty which would have meant greater fiscal union. The treaty was driven by the leaders of Germany and France – their aim was to keep the Euro alive.
The sign you see on Abingdon Bridge tells of Abingdon’s close relationships with other European towns. The twinning society is one of our most popular societies.
Walking over Abingdon Bridge, just past the entry sign, a man suggested I took a picture of the view from the bridge up Bridge Street. He said it was so wonderfully English with the flag flying – a beautiful sight.
I suspect we would like to have it both ways. We would like to continue to be an influential voice in Europe, but also keep our own tax making powers. But if the rest of Europe do move closer together without us, that veto could be a defining moment in our relationship: not just with continental Europe, but also with our northern neighbour, Scotland – represented by the blue on the flag, who were not consulted about the veto, and who are pushing ever closer to a referendum on independence within the greater Europe.
