Page 58 - South Issue 12

58
New Guildhall plans revealed
New plans for the revamp of Abingdon Guildhall have been revealed.
The original plans were for a £4.4m overhaul and included a stand-alone
cinema. However, a £1.9m bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund was rejected,
meaning that the plans have had to be scaled down a bit. The new plans see
the modern glass foyer either reduced or removed completely. However,
the major elements of the plans , the cinema, hall, café bard and overall
improved access, still remain. The council has put £1m into the project and
plans to approach a commercial cinema operator to help fund the project.
Other grants can also be applied for and there is also the option of running
the Guildhall as a charity. It is thought the new Guildhall could attract up
to 100,000 extra visitors each year and the stand-alone cinema is a great
opportunity for a commercial company to bring films back to Abingdon. The
re-drawn plans are not yet finalised and discussions will still go on to find
the best way forward.
In July, the Thames around Abingdon will play host
to the annual Royal Swan Upping. This ceremonial
practice started in the 12th Century and involved
catching and marking all Mute Swans on the Thames.
Traditionally, swans are owned by the Monarch and
Upping is a form of census in which the birds are
ringed and monitored. But more importantly these
days, Upping is a way of checking the health of the
swan and ensuring the population is not under threat
from illness. It is also a good chance to inspect the
animal’s environment, which in turn means the
environment for all the river’s residents has been
looked over.
The Uppers travel in traditional rowing skiffs and wear
traditional scarlet uniforms. Each boat also flies a flag
to identify it. One boat is the Queens and the other
belongs to two Livery companies who were granted
the rights to join in swan upping – the Vitners and the
Dyers. School children are invited to meet them and
talk about their job. It can also be a good chance for
children to see cygnets close up and learn more about
swans in general.
Their journey up the river to mark and check all of
the swans takes around 5 days and passes through
Middlesex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and
Oxfordshire on the route. Abingdon has the distinction
of being the final stop on the route. The rowers toast
the Queen when they have passed under Abingdon
Bridge to mark the end of the Upping.
In 2012, the whole event had to be cancelled due to
the persistent rain, which had raised the level of the
river by a considerable amount and as a consequence,
it was running too fast to be safe. In contrast, last year
the Upping took place during a heat wave!
The rowers always stand to attention when the boats
pass Windsor castle and the traditional shout when
a swan’s nest is cited is ‘All up!” After the event, The
Queen’s Swan Marker writes a report on the health
and statistics of the swans that have been found. This
vital data helps to provide information on how the
swan population is faring and will bring to light any
conservation issues. For example, there was a serious
decline in swans noticed in the mid-1980s. This led to
a ban on fishing with lead weights, which were toxic
to the birds when swallowed.
Abingdon end for
Swan Upping