This ‘Being outside is fun’ map has appeared outside the South Abingdon Children’s Centre. It has lots of ideas what to do … watch the clouds … play Pooh sticks … play in the rain … take a picture book and read with you child ….
The map shows where to find playgrounds, where to find ducks, and suggests blackberry picking.
There is no better time.
One result of bringing youth services together at the NET in Abingdon is that office space has been freed up elsewhere. Connexions, the agency charged with helping to find young people work, are to move into the NET, and so have moved out of Publishing House in Stert Street.
Publishing House could well be redeveloped as part of the plans for the Charter Area. It is the first sight people get of the centre of Abingdon, and so needs to be made to look more welcoming.
The probation service have also moved from 1-3 Ock Street and so there is Grade II Office space vacated there too. I have no idea where they went.
After the Abingdon Chamber of Commerce event on the Market Place, I could put faces to some well known local names.
Slade Legal, previously known as Hodsons, have their Abingdon Office opposite Coxeters. They also operate from Didcot and Wallingford. The recent name change helps to differentiate them from Hodsons, the Estate Agent.
There was Redmayne Bentley, the Stockbrokers from Stert Street. They had a couple of competitions running: guess the weight of their dog, and guess which share from the FTSE 100 will do best over the rest of the year. I sometimes pause to watch the TV screen in their window – especially when shares are in turmoil, although I was on holiday last week and missed the excitement. Hopefully shares will bounce back to give us a decent pension.
There was also Greg from Blue Door Lettings – and more recently Blue Door House Sales. Greg started blogging in 2005 a month or so before me. We have met at some recent Fair Trade meetings, but until today I had not put face to name.
Next Saturday is Fair Trade day on the Market Place – also organised by the revitalised Chamber of Commerce.
First the picture quiz. Put the correct names under the correct pub signs.
Second. Which Abingdon pub has a pub quiz on Thursday and has Morlands engraved in the stonework.
I saw the Old Anchor Inn filling up before 9 PM this evening for their quiz. The new landlord, Jamie, took over the pub a few weeks ago, and was setting the questions on his laptop.
Lastly, which pub has a Morland & Co Limited edition window?