Himalayan Balsam by the Tesco Path

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Himalayan Balsam
By the banks of the River Ock, between Tesco and the Ladygrove Estate, the flowers of Himalayan Balsam provide colour where once there were just nettles and brambles.
Himalayan Balsam
It gives more nectar than native flowers and so attracts the insects. Pinch the seedpods and they explode sending their seeds into the river some metres away.

Himalayan Balsam is considered an invasive species. Groups helped eradicate it from the Ock Valley Walk nearer to town. But it thrives in the empty fields between Tesco and the Ladygrove estate, in view of Abingdon Motorcycles.

Surfacing Works on an unnamed road, the A34 slipway, and Marcham Road

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Thanks to Annabel for letting us know the following …
35 Ock Street
There will be resurfacing work starting tomorrow (19th September) round the A415 the other side of the Marcham Interchange.
35 Ock Street
For two weeks an unnamed road will be closed day and night. It is first right off the Marcham Road soon after the A34 up to the junction with Barrow Road (for Shippon).
35 Ock Street
There will also be some overnight closures of more major roads while the resurfacing equipment is in the area. The A34 northbound slipway will be closed overnight for a week, and then the Marcham Road will be closed for 4 evenings and overnight.

35 Ock Street – Twenty Years On

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35 Ock Street
There was a party in the carpark of Abingdon Baptist Church this afternoon with a hog roast and balloons.

It followed a special service in the church building where old friends returned to Abingdon to join in celebrating the 20th Anniversary of 35 Ock Street – next door.
35 Ock Street
35 Ock Street was built as a timber framed house in the early 17th Century, and so is older than those twenty years.

From around 1700 it became the manse where the Baptist Minister lived, with a Georgian facade added towards the end of the 18th Century.

During the late 20th Century, after the Minister moved to a manse elsewhere in Abingdon, 35 Ock Street was scheduled for demolition to create modern offices. But because of its listed building status the old rickety building survived, and after a lot of fundraising it was renovated and re-opened in 1996 as a cafe and community centre serving the town centre .
35 Ock Street
Twenty Years On , it still runs as a cafe, and community centre. And today there was free coffee and tea.

Hot September Days, Thunderstorm at Night, and Harvest Moon

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Harvest Moon
After three hot September days, there was heavy rain last night with lightening and thunder. The gap between the lightening and thunder was first thirteen seconds and then eight seconds. It did not get any closer. As a rule of thumb there are five seconds for a mile.

This evening the clouds are lit up by a Harvest Moon – the full moon nearest the Harvest Festival.