Re-entering Lockdown and Epiphany

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Epiphany
People were talking about going into Tier 5 after the dramatic rise in Covid-19 cases following the spread of the new strain. Instead of going through any more tiers the Prime Minister has announced that we are re-entering lockdown. Schools will be off from today. Many were off yesterday. At least schools will be a little better prepared for online lessons this time, but not everybody will be able to follow.
Epiphany
Most of the town center Christmas lights did not come on last night.

Today is Epiphany – celebrating the three wise men, or kings, visiting the infant Jesus. We still use the word epiphany for a sudden revelation. The Abingdon Share a Poem group will meet via Zoom and has the theme of Epiphanies. One poem they might read is God’s Grandeur by Gerald Manley Hopkins.
Epiphany
Our window has shown an epiphany scene since that start of advent. The materials to make the scene came from Prices the Stationer: black card for the figures, crepe paper for the desert and haloes, cellophane for the starry sky, and PVA glue to stick it to the window.
Epiphany
The crepe paper is loosing its colour due to condensation, and two of the wise men have slid down. Later today or tomorrow we will take it down.

Nearly every Monday

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nearly every Monday
Nearly every Monday there is a market on Abingdon Market Place. This Monday the market was small with just three stalls: bread, fruit and veg, and olives. It was no surprise not to see cards, coats, bags, carpets, vacuum bags, and watch batteries – as they are all non essential. But there was also no meat, eggs, or fish.

Last Monday was a bank holiday and there were no stalls.
nearly every Monday
There were queues at the bread and fruit and veg at the market, and also at the banks. The Newbury Building Society has a notice to say ‘During this worrying time we wanted to say we’re here for you’.
nearly every Monday
Meanwhile Waitrose are encouraging us all to Give a Little Love..

Advertising must be difficult at this time. Many companies acknowledge the pandemic in their promotions.

Unicorns in Abingdon

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The Unicorn
The Unicorn is a mythical beast that has been used by the people in Abingdon for centuries.

There is the Unicorn Theatre (pictured above). There has been more than one Unicorn Inn in Abingdon. There was one on the west side of East St Helen Street, pulled down in the nineteenth century (1), and another at the Square that was to become the Rising Sun Inn(2) and is now Abingdon Fish and Chips. There is the Unicorn School on Marcham Road that specializes in educating students with dyslexia.

Recently I saw an interesting tweet by the Vernacular Architecture Group about Unicorn House on East St Helen Street …
The Unicorn
There is also information about Unicorn House on the Abingdon Buildings and People website which says the name Unicorn House is modern.
Unicorn House
There is a blue plaque to say the William III stayed her in December 1688 when on his way from Torbay to London to claim the Throne.
Unicorn House
It is one of the largest houses in East St Helen Street and is between The Merchants House, and St Ethelwold’s House.

References:
1. A History of Abingdon - J Townsend (1910)
2. Inns and Alehouses of Abingdon - J Smith and J Carter (1978)

Bridge Street: Parking Permits, Beer to takeaway, and floods receding

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Down Bridge Street
Most people, who are part of the residents parking scheme, in the town centre, will have an out of date parking permit. The Town Council Office, down Bridge Street, has not been open to allow people to renew their permit since the March lockdown last year. An out of date permit is therefore allowed.
Down Bridge Street
The Broad Face were serving beers and burgers to takeaway. Some people were drinking their beer overlooking the River along Bridge Street.
Down Bridge Street
There were fewer people this afternoon looking at the water levels now they are going down.
Down Bridge Street
The government’s flood warning information site shows the river level over the last 5 days. The highest recorded by the monitoring station was on 9th January 2014.
Down Bridge Street
The site https://floodassist.co.uk/river-data/gauges/oxfordshire/1503th-level-downstage-i-15_min-masd/abingdon-lock shows the last 2 weeks and how the river level rose on Christmas Day and peaked on Boxing Day.