Not so Black Saturday

5 Replies

Steeple Saturday
The day after Black Friday is Saturday 24th November, or, as I shall refer to it – not so Black Saturday. We will be over the worst by then and St Helen’s Church will be holding their annual Christmas Market.
Steeple Saturday
Trinity Church will be holding a Christmas Fair.

These two churches can be seen from a long way away because both of them have a tall steeple. So if you see a steeple in Abingdon on Saturday morning, head towards it and take part in one of these festive events, and don’t be black anymore.

Woolworths as Poundland ten years on

Leave a reply

Woolworths as Poundland
The BBC had a non-Brexit news story yesterday asking ‘What has happened to Woolworths’ stores 10 years after closure?‘ Checking back on this blog I can see the Woolworths closure was in December 2008.

The article goes on to say ‘Poundland owns the biggest number of ex-Woolworth premises’.
Woolworths as Poundland
Poundland took over the ex-Woolworths stores in Abingdon, but only after Cargo had run it for a couple of years.
Woolworths as Poundland
Poundland has been diversifying, and now have £2 sections, and £5 sections, and Pep & Co clothes.

They have many lines such as hardware, and CDs, and pic’n’mix and stationary that are not so very different from what you would have found in Woolworths. The big difference is that in Poundland there is no need for small change.

Radley Lakes – saved ten years ago

3 Replies

Radley Lakes
I had an interesting walk round Thrupp and Bullfield lakes yesterday, following the well marked circular tour, picturing the scenery and some of the birds on a sunny autumn afternoon.
Radley Lakes
The lake, once threatened with being filled with ash from Didcot Power Station, was saved thanks to   a campaign group called Save Radley Lakes, chaired by Basil Crowley, who sadly is no longer with us. The group’s campaigners were very well known in Abingdon, running their fund raising tombolas on the Market Place. Their campaigning ideas not only got into the Abingdon Herald but also national newspapers in a David v Goliath conflict. Then in 2008, ten years ago, Npower gave Thrupp Lake to the community for nature conservation.
Radley Lakes
It is now looked after by the Earth Trust.
Radley Lakes
The hide at the bottom end got burned down, and has now been replaced with a wicker fence with holes though which you can look. Being an out of the way place, with wooden buildings, there have been occasional acts of vandalism.
Radley Lakes
In 2008 a new organisation, The Friends of Radley Lakes was established to help raise funds and look after the lake, and work with the Earth Trust. The Friends have their AGM on Friday  at 7:30 at  Peachcroft Christian Centre with an illustrated talk: “The Birds of Radley Lakes” by Ben Carpenter.
Radley Lakes
This is a picture of another large Radley lake, one that did get filled with ash from Didcot Power Station. For about ten years it was surrounded by a high fence. But now the trees have taken over and the fence is down.

Memorial Plaque, Grommit, and Tailoring

1 Reply

He died for freedom and honour
Peter sent me this picture last weekend. It was a medal displayed in the window of  Art and Stuff, which is near the war memorial in Abingdon.

Such medals were given to the families of servicemen killed in WW1, and known as Memorial Plaques. The name of the serviceman is displayed beneath a laurel crown held by Britannia, with a British Lion alongside. Two dolphins represent British sea power, and below a second lion mauls an eagle.
He died for freedom and honour
Anybody who has been into Art and Stuff will know Grommit, who lets his owner know when anybody has come into the shop.

Oenone, his owner, was telling me all that information about the medal, and about some other finds from WWI that were on display. She is a fount of information when it comes to antiques and art stuff.
He died for freedom and honour
But when it came to nearby businesses in Bath Street I could tell her something she did not know. There is a new tailoring service, with a sewing machinist, next to Masons.