St Ethelwolds Garden – February 2024

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Since January, the tortoise has moved from the birdbath to a large jug with yellow flowers.

Volunteer gardeners have strung new ropes across the trellis area. Most plants are still quite low and the view is uninterrupted.

The row of compost bins near the bottom of the garden are at different stages. Just the nearby bin is taking fresh organic materials. The others hold heating up compost or final compost.

A blackbird pecks for worms among the Hellebores. Hellebores flower during January and February and establish themselves before other plants compete for resources in the spring and summer.

Daffodils are now on the lawn under the tree where the aconites flowered in January.

Pink Primroses brighten up some areas of the rockery.

AbiBinit Cleans Up Caldecott!

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Sunshine and 12 volunteers joined Lynne from AbiBinit to tackle litter in South Abingdon’s Caldecott area.

People had mixed reactions. A young woman was happy about the cleared hedge by the Reynolds Way supermarket, saying “Thanks so much! It was minging!” Another person said the rubbish would be back again in no time. Someone asked who they were, and when they learned they were volunteers, said the council should do it, not volunteers.

After 2 hours, the volunteers had filled 26 bags with rubbish.

Town Councillor Tom Greenaway (who also volunteered) thanked Lynne with a letter from the Mayor and council for all their hard work. AbiBinit has been cleaning up Abingdon since 2018, and encouraging volunteering, first with Helen and now with Lynne. Check them out at https://abingdoncivicsociety.org.uk/activities/abibinit-litter-picking-initiative.

Litter Picking, Plastic Talk, World Prayer & Model Trains in Abingdon

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AbiBinit! 2024 (Upcoming Litter Picks)
Sat 24th Feb – 10am to 12 noon Reynolds Way / Gainsborough Green
Sat 23rd March – 10 am to 1pm Town Centre

Plastic Pollution and what we can do about it
24th February – 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
One Planet Abingdon, Climate Emergency Centre under the County Hall, Market Place, Abingdon.
A presentation about plastic pollution and the damage it causes to the environment. Talk followed by discussion and sharing of ideas.

World Day of Prayer Service: Friday 1 March, 4pm at All Saints, Abingdon (and many other churches around the world). This year’s service has been written by the women of Palestine and was decided on at least three years ago.

The next annual Abingdon Model Railway Show will be on the 2nd and 3rd of March at Abingdon and Witney College. It’s their 50th Anniversary. The show will run for two days and there will be over 40 layouts. Book at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/abingdon-district-model-railway-club.

January and February Flooding

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This February, there was only one frost on February 1st. Since then, it’s been mostly cloudy and rainy. Today is no different. It’s overcast and raining and there was a fall of sleet earlier.

Already, the fields near the River Thames are flooded.

Tall poplars line the edge of the cricket field, with Wilsham Road behind.

Due to flooding, the Abingdon Parkrun has been cancelled on February 24th and most other Saturdays in 2024. Only the February 3rd event went ahead this year, which was muddy.