Kings Gate Play Area opens as Infrastructure Projects Progress

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The new play park and multi-use games area at Kings Gate have opened and are proving popular. This photo was taken on a school-day morning, during quieter hours.

Contractors are completing the final section of the cycle and pedestrian path over the River Stert, which will connect Aldi, the Kings Gate estate, Tilsley Park, and the Abbey Fields development.

On the roads, work has yet to resume on the Oxford Road roundabout. However, preliminary work on the long-awaited south-facing slip roads for the A34 at Lodge Hill is set to begin. According to a BBC report, a site compound will be built off the Oxford Road from 10th February, with vegetation and trees being cleared. Oxfordshire County Council estimates that the main interchange works will be completed by summer 2026.

For those seeking more details, a public information event will be held at Long Furlong Community Centre on 21st March, from 14:00 to 18:00.

In a smaller project, Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council is planning to replace the town entry signs. They need moving beyond the new houses, and some of the existing signs have not weathered well. (It’s still only one hour of free parking in the town centre. The ‘1’ covering the ‘2’ must have peeled off.)

New Juice Bar – possibly a first for Abingdon town centre

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A new juice bar, opened on February 1st, 2025, at Coxeters Yard, bringing a healthy addition to the town’s bars. It may be Abingdon’s first specialist juice bar (although someone out there may remember others), and is part of tradition of juicing dating back decades, and centuries.

Juice bars have been around since the 1970s, and increasingly popular since the 2010s, emphasising healthy ingredients, detox benefits, and fun flavours. The new bar continues this trend with juice mixes like Remedy, Health Kick, and Tropical Blast, alongside shots called Ginger or Turmeric and smoothies with names like Strawberry Split and Cacao Bomb.

Juicing may seem like a modern health trend, but its roots go back to at least 150 B.C. The Essenes, a Jewish sect known for writing the Dead Sea Scrolls, mashed pomegranates and figs for their health benefits. That may have been called Essenic Elixir.

New Chinese Motors in Abingdon

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The City Daily Photo group’s theme for February is “Motors”.

Here in Abingdon, only one motor car dealership sells new motors. A few years ago, I could have bought a new Vauxhall at Bellingers and Fiat or Ford at Hartwell. Bellingers has since moved to nearby Didcot, and the models at Hartwell have changed. They still sell Fords but have introduced some new models: GWM, OMODA and JAECOO.

GWM, or Great Wall Motor, is one of China’s leading car makers. OMODA and JAECOO are new brands, both subsidiaries of Chery, another Chinese car maker.

Vehicles destined for the UK market are made in Chinese factories. However, Chery are preparing to make cars in Spain to avoid EU tariffs, with the UK under consideration for another factory. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74jgk1kw87o.

Abingdon 100 Years Ago – January 1925

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Deaths and Funerals
Mr. Frederick Knight Couldrey, aged 78, died at his residence, “Oak House,” Ock Street, Abingdon, on Monday. He was a long-time organist at St. Helen’s Church.

Tragic Incidents

Bridge Collapse: Shortly before nine o’clock on Sunday evening, about 30 feet of the balustrade of the stone bridge across the Thames backwater at Culham collapsed, blocking the road leading to Wallingford. The bridge, originally erected in 1416, has been affected by rising river levels. The road between Culham and Abingdon bridges has been underwater for some distance, with a depth reaching several inches. An Automobile Association patrol officer on duty at the Culham end of the bridge at the time of the collapse immediately informed the police and stopped traffic on the road.

Train’s Narrow Escape: Due to the rising Thames, the meadowland around Abingdon was submerged. During the gale on Thursday night, several trees were blown down. One tree was uprooted along the causeway of the Culham Road, blocking traffic until Saturday afternoon. Three trees fell across the Abingdon–Radley railway line, about a mile from Radley. The 8:40 a.m. train from Abingdon on Friday was proceeding slowly along the line when it struck the upper branches of the trees. The door handles along the sides of the train were bent, and a window was smashed. Luckily, no one was hurt.

Runaway Horse: Caleb Steance, a carter employed by the Abingdon Corporation, was driving a cart of manure when the horse suddenly became frightened. In its panic, the animal upset him from his seat, and the wheels of the cart passed over him. The inquest ruled his death accidental, attributing it to the horse being startled.

Seizure While Fishing: Albert Edward George Eggleton, formerly of an epileptic care home in Lingfield, Surrey, returned to his family home at 15 Court 3, West St Helen Street in Abingdon at his father’s request. Against his father’s wishes, and without his knowledge, Albert left the house to go fishing and was later found drowned in the river, likely having fallen in due to a seizure.

Community and Social Events
The Mayor of Abingdon, Mr. J. D. Godfrey, and members of the Corporation attended St. Helen’s Church, where Rev. C. S. Fleet preached.

The Pavlova Athletic Club held a poultry whist drive, with prizes awarded to winners: Mr. G. Denny and Miss Brown.

A New Year’s Eve whist drive and dance at the Corn Exchange saw Miss Patties win the fancy dress for her Victorian maid costume and Mr. W. Stone for “Football Results.”

The Abingdon Polling District Liberal Association hosted a party for 300 children, featuring conjuring by Mr. Norman Chivers and dancing to Mrs. Graham’s band.

The Plasterers Arms Slate Club held its annual dinner, with 44 members attending and songs performed. Membership increased to 71 for the new year.

Legal and Court Proceedings
Children’s Court
An Abingdon lad was summoned for stealing a quantity of eggs, valued at 2s. 6d., the property of Arthur William Parrott of Tythe Farm Cottages, Sutton Wick, near Abingdon. Parrott said he kept his fowl in a meadow at the farmhouse and had an impression that he was losing his eggs from the henhouse, as the number he expected to get was about 14 a day, whereas he had only four or five. He communicated with the police. P.C. Hawes stated that he kept the henhouse under observation and saw the lad visit it and take the eggs. The defendant was bound over for twelve months in the sum of £5.

Borough Bench
Thomas Smith, of Oxford, was fined 7s. 6d., including damages and costs, for maliciously damaging a pane of glass valued at 5s., the property of the Corporation of Abingdon. Defendant pleaded guilty.

Henry Chapman, of Nuneham Courtenay, was summoned for riding a motorcycle with a sidecar without a rear light and fined 10s.

Reginald Claudius Murrell of Sunningwell was charged with breaking into Minnie Ada Hatton’s home and stealing cash, cheques, and goods. A warrant was issued for John Tate, his alleged accomplice.

Miscellaneous
Mrs. Daisy Elizabeth Parsons of the Plasterers’ Arms was granted an extension for a slate club dinner.

Mr. Basil Stuart Mayhead of the Lion Hotel received an extension for the Abingdon Bowling Club’s annual dinner.

Thanks to the Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette, North Wilts Herald, Reading Standard, and Gloucestershire Echo from the British Newspaper Archive and to the North Berks Herald microfilm in the library. The photos are from the Reading Standard, and the adverts from the North Berks Herald. Also thanks to ChaptGPT for removing some errors from the text transcript copied from the British Newspaper Archive. (OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com)