This conspicuous black-and-white timber-framed building in Stert Street has a symmetrical gabled roof and a Tudor appearance. The shopfront with large glass windows has an abandoned look. The building once housed the much loved Prices Stationers which closed in December 2021. The freehold was sold in August 2023, but no changes have been visible since and the shop remains empty. Hopefully something will happen soon to give it a new purpose.
The road to St Helen’s Wharf is closed again, and this time, there’s a cage surrounding the work area. Unlike the emergency gas repair last week this closure has come with prior notice. Thames Water expect to be finished by 14th March.
Trade appeared slower than usual at the Monday Market, with some of the stall holders packing up early. It’s not clear whether this was due to the road closure or the damp weather.
Here’s a peaceful St Helen’s Wharf – free of traffic.
The Abingdon Artists Spring Exhibition shows work from around 50 artists. Co-chair Jonathan Leach praised the impressive breadth and depth of work on display. The exhibition runs from Monday, 10th March, to Saturday, 15th March, at St Helen’s Church.
Cllr. Alison Rooke, Honorary President of Abingdon Artists and Chair of Oxfordshire County Council, attended the exhibition and enjoyed viewing the artwork.
Marion Owen is pictured with three of her paintings, among the many pieces on display. Each artist can submit up to three works.
In addition to artwork and cards, visitors can enter a raffle to win Spring Fever, a Chinese ink and watercolour painting by Tricia Wormald. Depicting a rooster — a symbol of prosperity and bravery in Chinese culture — the piece is inspired by the artist’s two decades of keeping chickens.
On arriving at the Tesco Superstore in Abingdon, visitors are now met with blue fencing enclosing large areas of vegetation.
The fencing surrounds the trees, bushes, and undergrowth, as well as the deep water storage areas and ditches.
In the area with a ditch between Tesco and the new hotel, the undergrowth and smaller trees have been cut back and chipped.
The fencing carries signs saying: “Building Infrastructure Improvement – Improving your environment for the better.” However, no details have been provided in what way it will be better.
Clearing vegetation will make the site more accessible for further development. As no planning applications are visible, my first guess is that this is a drainage improvement project — to try to reduce the frequent flooding of the Tesco car park.
But if anybody knows better then please let us know.