News and Views from the Abbey Gardens

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In March, permission was given to develop Old Abbey House as a 27 bedroom hotel. It was previously used as offices for the town council. A separate new-build cafe had been removed from the plans as it would have involved cutting down trees.

The Edible Abingdon beds in the Abbey Gardens will have raised beds added this Spring.

The information notice board, removed over the winter, has been reinstated.

It’s red tulip time in the formal flower beds during April. They are starting to lose their petals.

The blossoms of the Horse Chestnut trees now stand above the new leaves. They are seen here behind the folly in the Abbey Gardens.

EZ (easy) EV (electric vehicle) chargers installed in Car Parks in Abingdon

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Twelve electric vehicle charging points have been installed in West St Helen Street Car Park. That is two on each electric pump. There are also 16 for Audlett Drive and  10 at the Cattle Market car parks.

The chargers are operated by EZ Charge – a Bicester Company, working with Oxfordshire County Council.

The Park and Charge scheme is designed for local residents who cannot install home charging. They will also work for people who have not installed home charging, or anybody who needs a top-up.

According to the RAC You can currently expect between 100 and 300 miles from a fully charged electric car, depending on the model.

Public Toilets in Abingdon

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The Abingdon Herald reported about Public Toilets in Abingdon under the headline Public toilets in Abingdon close after vandalism. Cllr Charlie Birks raised the topic of public toilets at the Town Council meeting on 30th March and tried to put pressure on the Vale of White District Council to get them all operational. I also got an email from J who was concerned that the lack of public toilets was making it more difficult for some vulnerable people to visit Abingdon Town Centre. As a result, I went to explore.

The toilets in the Abbey Meadow were working and were being well used. I had to wait a couple of minutes until I could get a picture without people going in, coming out, or loitering outside. The circular glass windows have been replaced with wood and are now more vandal proof. The vandalised radar key has been fixed.

At the Charter, the drains from the men’s toilets keep getting blocked because of subsidence and need digging out and replacing. A notice has been put for men to use the disabled toilet instead (radar key access has been removed). This will be a big job (apology for the pun).

The Hales Meadow toilet is usually only accessible with coins, and at present, the coin slot is taped over. There are lots of notices but none of them has information about the closure. The Herald reports that the door was vandalised.

Wally! Wally! Wally! Bike Checks, Crafts, and Wedding

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It was easy to spot Wally this morning in Abingdon. They could be heard too, as younger Wallys chanted ‘Wally! Wally! Wally!’

Under the County Hall arches, there were experts checking bikes for free.

In the Climate Control Centre, in the basement, a Repair Workshop repaired electricals for free. This is a monthly event.

Over in the Guildhall, a craft fair attracted local crafters from Oxfordshire to sell their products.

A wedding party was gathered outside the Registry Office in Roysse Court.