Hedges and Halifax Leave Abingdon

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At the end of May, Hedges Butchers moved their base from Abingdon after over 70 years. They can now be found in Chalgrove and continue to deliver in Abingdon and the area. Their new premises are much bigger.

The branch of Halifax in Abingdon closed on June 29th. The Guardian says UK bank branch numbers have almost halved since 2015. Abingdon has already lost the TSB and Barclays on Marcham Road. Many people do most of their banking online, and the closures hit people who have not gone online.

Town Council – 29th June 2022

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The Town Council meeting was held in the old magistrate’s court and began with a minutes’ silence in memory of Brian Tonkin – Town Clerk from 1985 to 2000. The town flag was flying at half-mast for him. The silence was also for Johannah Aynsley, Guildhall Manager, from 2012 to 2016. The Town Council have a tribute to Brian Tonkin. The Oxford Mail have a tribute to Johannah Aynsley.

The council meeting was hybrid. Most councillors attended in person, but a few joined using Microsoft Teams. Virtual councillors don’t have quite the same privileges as physical councillors.


The meeting began with a presentation by Sustrans and Oxfordshire County Council on early design work to improve cycle and pedestrian links at the junction of East St Helen Street, Bridge Street, and Stert Street. People may remember there used to be a triangular island at the bottom of Stratton Way to provide three-way pedestrian access. A similar triangular island is proposed with three zebra crossings at this junction. Reducing the flowerbed by the County Hall would help make room for the island and give pavement access. There is no funding yet to do a detailed plan or undertake the work.

Only two committee papers were considered at the meeting, those of the finance and the community committees. The last Town Council meeting was a special meeting to consider the Jubilee celebrations. At that meeting, it was decided to make evening concerts free, using money from reserves to cover the extra cost.

A report from the County Council had the latest timing for the Lodge Hill Junction. Planning permission will hopefully be submitted in September 2022.


Town Councillor Jim Halliday has been made an Alderman by VWHDC (Vale of White Horse District Council). This honour is similar to being made a Freeman by the Town Council and allows him to attend all ceremonial events. Dr Jim Halliday (in the dark suit) was a VWHDC councillor from 1995 to 2015, representing three wards during his time. He began as a councillor for the Abingdon Ock ward and went on to represent Abingdon Northcourt in 2003. From 2007, Jim was a councillor for the Abingdon Fitzharris ward. He also served as Chair and Vice-Chair on the Scrutiny Committee and the Abingdon and North East Area Committee. (Jerry Patterson and Reg Waite were also made Aldermen.)

This year is a time for staff changes at the Town Council. Steve Rich recently retired as outdoor and facilities manager, and now the financial officer Susan Whipp has decided to move on.

There was a discussion of standards in public life. A national report from 2019 has led to changes. Central government wanted changes decided at a local level. Oxfordshire’s new standards set out how Abingdon councillors are expected to behave.

International Friendship – Bergen

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In 1961, the International Union of Local Authorities proposed a link between Abingdon and Bergen-op-Zoom in Holland. Exchanges of school children and young people took place.

In 1970, when the International Friendship estate in South Abingdon was built, one road was called Bergen Avenue. Bergen was an associate town, rather than a twin town, in the towns listed by the Abingdon (Town Friendship) Society in the 1970 Abingdon Directory. In the 1980 directory, Bergen was no longer listed among the associate towns for The Abingdon & District International Friendship Society.

A sign on the International Friendship estate in South Abingdon lists twin towns(T) and associate towns(A).

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP
The roads on this estate
are named after towns
in partnership with
Abingdon
ARGENTAN CLOSE(T). BERGEN AVENUE(A)
COROMANDEL(A). LUCCA DRIVE(T)
SCHONGAU CLOSE(T)
ST NIKLAAS CLOSE(T). VIRGINIA WAY(A)
MAY 1970

For more information about Town Twinning visit Abingdon and District Twin Towns Society. Information about the Bergen association is from the book To the Seventies – Two decades of achievement in Abingdon and District. That book also says that Abingdon became friendly with St Niklaas thanks to Mr Peter Marsh, Headmaster of St Nicolas School. St Niklaas already had links with Colmar, Lucca, and Shongau, and welcomed Abingdon into that European Community.

Cricket Friendship

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Ian met this fine Dutch chap at the cricket in Amsterdam when Nederlands played England earlier this month.

Ian was amazed to see Abingdon on his shirt!

His team, The Ajax Sportsman Combinatie, usually known as ASC, is a Dutch football and cricket club, … Ajax was established on 1st June 1892, and played its first match in 1895.

They have apparently been playing friendlies against Abingdon for sixty-three years.

If anybody knows more, then please comment. Ian thinks SC Ajax will be playing Abingdon at the end of July.

If anybody asks, ‘Wat is cricket?’, here is a video to explain …