Arriving home this evening I was suprised to find that Stert Street was closed to traffic. The road has been seeping water for a couple of months, and work has started to fix it.
A sign says work to be completed on 23rd January. Until then the road will be closed overnight, and open during the day.
The road closure caused chaos during the daytime today.
I wonder why there was such a sudden need to take action in the middle of the day, when it has been like that for weeks.
Fifty years ago or less, the speech of an Ab’ndonian would hardly have been understood by a person from the northern counties. and his dialect would sound strange to his grandson of today. He called a stone a “stwun”, a mole a “wunt”, – Wantage means the place of wunts – a pig a “peg”, and a sheep a “ship”.
He lengthened out his a’s so that yard became “yaard” and way “waay”. For “I am not” he said “I beant”, for “will you” he said “Oo’lt”. He would say “mwoast” and “mwoare” and “whum” and “wi”.
He used strange words like “unked” and “lear” and athert” where we would say uncanny, hungry, and across. “I” was used for me and myself, “he” for him, and “his’n” and “shis’n” for his and hers.
“B’ist thee a-gwaen to Ab’ndon faar? If thee b’ist I’ll see ‘ee theaar.”
(a short extract from ‘The School History of Berkshire’ by E.A. Greening Lamborn published in 1908 and no longer on the school history curriculum)
Three of the units in the Suffolk Way, just off the Drayton Road, have a common theme:
Alongside all three is Loose Cannon Brewery – who produce award winning beers.
Oxford Wood Recycling were featured in the Abingdon Herald just before Christmas. They completed the move into larger premises here in Abingdon, and opened for business on 10th Jan 2015.
They are a Social Enterprise. Any profits are re-invested in the business – whose aims are recycling wood, and helping the long-term unemployed by offering work experience and volunteering opportunities.
It was cold last night and there was a frost at first light.
At about 8:15 snow began to fall. Five minutes later, there was a lot of snow falling on Abingdon town centre – as seen here in front of St Nics Church and the Guildhall.
There were big flakes falling on the Market Place in front of County Hall.
There were not many takers for the outside seats an Java & Co – often used by early morning sports enthusiasts.
There was not enough to build snowmen, but I did see some children playing snowballs, and spotted these synchronized tyre tracks outside Masons.
The view looking back to town from Wilsham Road was very pretty.