Retail to Residential in Bath Street

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A premises in Bath Street has changed from retail to residential.

The building dates from the 1960s and the shop was a ladies clothes shop until July 2020.

Justifying the decision, VWHDC said ‘Whilst the loss of a ground floor retail unit is regrettable, due to the small size of the unit, and its location on a secondary shopping frontage, it is not considered that the loss of this unit would cause significant harm to the function, character or appearance of the existing shopping provision or to the town centre as a whole.’

Outdoor Pool with wildlife

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The Abbey Meadows Outdoor Pool will open for the season on July 12th and has been filled with water in readiness.

A male blackbird can be seen near the blue water. Swimming pool water is high in chlorine and is not good for him to drink. The chlorine does kill off bacteria and viruses.

Outside the pool area, in the splash pad area, the geese have been enjoying fresh grass this summer.

The splash pad will be opening on Monday 19th July. That is subject to government Covid-19 restrictions being lifted.

Geese droppings will need clearing and, as in previous summers, that should include attempts to keep the geese away.

Coming Home

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Here are pictures taken near the Wootton Road shops in Abingdon earlier in the day …

Topsport has one window with footballs and St George flags, and one window with things that fly, and cricket, and tennis. Wimbledon is also on.

A knitted crochet post box cover.

The old Fitzharrys community rooms- probably a private residence now.

In the town centre, the St George Flag is above the County Hall.

I was on the late shift and the people I help support had made St George flags and stuck them on straws. One suggested I make a flag with 3 lions and the word ‘England’. My flag looked more like three ducks but I waved it as they waved their George crosses during the match. In the end England won 4-0 and are through to their first semi final since this blog was started, in 2006 – a year of high hopes when England lost 1-3 in the World Cup quarter finals to Portugal.

A young man shouted from an open car window at me, as I cycled home, ‘It’s coming home’. The same phrase ‘It’s coming home’, from the Three Lions song, was being chanted and sung by people going come, via the Back Street, after I got home.

Wootton Road development – start of July 2021

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Daniel has been flying over the Wootton Road development. The land between the development and the Wootton Road has been levelled and placed outside a wooden fence.

The main entrance to the estate has been laid. Two houses have roofs and that white block looks like a sales office. The first homes are already becoming available. You can take a virtual tour at https://player.vimeo.com/video/566655790.

About half the area has not been worked on very much yet.

The estate is called Kings Gate. With a name like that it could be anywhere.