30th Abingdon Scouts Celebrate opening of New Hut

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The 30th Abingdon Scouts celebrated the opening of their new scout hut, alongside Abingdon Baptist Church, on Sunday, June 25, 2023. The new modular building is 105 square metres and will be accessible and available to all.

The new hut was made possible thanks to a £75,000 grant from Biffa Award and grants from Abingdon Town Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Christ’s Hospital of Abingdon and other grant givers.

The previous hut was originally a welfare building from Didcot Power Station and was put there in the 1970s. It had been repaired over many years but was no longer fit for purpose.

Avril Williams, Group Scout Leader, thanked the people behind the new hut, including Christine Hutt and others. She also acknowledged the support of the local community, which had helped to raise funds for the project.

There were special Scout Commissioner’s Commendation Awards for Stephen Bodey

and Steve Knapton who worked on the project.

One of the scout seniors cut the ribbon, and after everyone had looked around, a barbecue and a short service of thanks followed.

For more information about the 30th Abingdon Scouts, please visit their website at www.30thabingdon.org.uk. They include Rainbows, Brownies, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts.

Thank you to Avril for the pictures of the old hut and the new hut being placed in position.

Local Excellence Summer Craft Market with Birthday

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The Local Excellence Summer Craft Market was on in the Market Place today. The Town Crier had a birthday greeting for one of the stallholders. He would not say the stallholders’ age but let us know that it was worth marking.

One of the stalls had some colourful cakes, essential for any party.

Others had crafty present ideas.

The birthday was for Martin Wackenier, who regularly runs a stall at the market with photographs and cards.

In the evening, there was a birthday get-together at the Loose Canon Brewery, where Martin joined the band Rockingham for a couple of songs.

Happy Birthday, Martin.

Drone Footage of fields near Sunningwell and the Abbey Fields Housing development

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Daniel has been flying his drone over the fields near Sunningwell village, capturing stunning images of the tractor trails crossing and circling the land.

He has also captured images of the Abbey Fields development in Abingdon,

where new homes are being built with a variety of roof colors, some red and some grey.

From above, Hobby Green resembles a road roundabout.

Thank you to Daniel for the pictures and for sharing the video, “A Play with the Drone out by Sunningwell Village.”

River Ock in Abingdon – June 2023

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The Ock Valley Walk in Abingdon has become more crowded in June. There are more people walking, and the Kingfisher canoe club visited the weir this week. But I have not seen the Kingfisher during June, not even a blue flash.

A heron was seen earlier in the month, and people have been sharing pictures of it on social media. It is a good indicator of a healthy ecosystem, as it feeds on fish and other small animals.

Fish were visible earlier in the month, but are harder to see now.

The grey wagtail can also be seen near the water. It is a good swimmer and diver, and it feeds on insects and small fish.

The blossoms and fresh leaves of May have been followed by mature foliage. Horse chestnut leaves have already started showing signs of aging as the Horse chestnut leaf miner, the larvae of a small moth, tunnels through the leaves, turning them brown. Elderflowers were abundant earlier in June and many are starting to develop into berries.

The nettles have grown tall, and some were cut back near the paths. Small brown butterflies flutter about in the vicinity.

Ducks and moorhens are frequently seen, but I have not seen them with young on the Ock Valley Walk near town.

Yellow flags are visible along the walk, but further out from town, beyond the Ock Bridge, they look larger.

Extending from Tesco to Mill Lane, the River Ock is more overgrown and the channel looks reduced. There are probably lots of wildlife and their young hiding among the sedge and reeds, away from the crowds.