Old Gaol Memories at Abingdon Leisure Centre

If you visit Abingdon Leisure Centre look out for the Old Gaol Memories board just inside the entrance. Please do read the interesting memories that people have left about the Old Gaol, and feel free to write any memories of your own on the paper slips. Looking at the board is Arthur, whose own memory was that "...the Old Gaol was a great place to have a party on a Saturday!"

Alternatively you could send us your memories by email to oldgaol@btinternet.com or contact our website www.oldgaol.org.uk. OR, you could send them as a comment to this blog. Just click the Comments button and follow the instructions then press Publish. You do not need a Google account unless you select that option.

Mayor Visits COG at Air Show

MAYOR SUPPORTS OLD GAOL

Visiting the Air Show on Sunday, Town Mayor, Peter Green, put pen to paper in support of Abingdon pressure group, Community in the Old Gaol (GOG). Glynne Butt, COG chairman, is with him. COG is pressing the Vale of White Horse District Council, to include increased public access and facilities for the local community in its redevelopment plans for the site.

COG at Air and County Show, Abingdon

COG had a stall at this show on Sunday, and we were delighted at the amount of support we found for COG and its aims. People from quite a wide area around Abingdon were interested and many signed our petition. Our picture shows Mr and Mrs Wright of Upper Heyford signing the petition, with Glynne Butt from COG. Also shown is a group who signed the petion and are enjoying breakfast in rather chilly conditions. More later........

COG is gaining momentum

I was out and about in Abingdon market on Monday and it was very encouraging to find that a lot of people already knew about COG abd the situation of the Old Gaol. Well done to all those who signed our petition - it will help us a lot in achieving credibility so that we may be listened to when developers make there proposals. I do hope that the Vale does NOT sell the freehold. I have to say that it's far from clear to me that there is any incentive to do so other than prevention of "nuiance" to the Vale Council.

One thing I'm still worried about ids that although this blog is getting a lot of hits, there are very few comments left on it. I wonder if people are being put of by the fromat of the Comments box (whic I can't do anything about). You don't need to sign up for a Google acoount if you click one of the other two option. Anyway I'll keep hoping!

Problem with comments

Sorry if it's been difficult to post comment on this blog. I hope there is now a comment box below this and would be grateful if you could post a comment so I can see if it's now OK.

COG Public Meeting

Thanks to everyone who came to the public meeting at Thomas Reade School on Tuesday (17 April) organised by COG (Community in the Old Gaol). It was very big lively event and it is now clear that there is a huge amount of support for influencing the developers of the Old Gaol site to make sure community interests are taken into account. One person counted at least eight community groups represented. I didn't do a headcount, but it was probably over 100, with people standing at times.

Although I'm a member of COGs working group, I have to stress that as the owner of this blog any opinions here are mine and not necessarily COGs. The intention is to put out news and information that is fresh, and I'll try to be accurate with that.

Speakers from COG on Tuesday were were Glynne Butt, Lesley Legge and Alison Mummery. Debbie Dance (Oxford Preservation Trust) spoke about her experiences with the development of the Oxford Castle site (the old prison). Bob Johnson (Vale Councillor) also gave a short talk from the Vale perspective and took questions.

Questions came thick and fast and it was clear to me that interest in the Old Gaol's future is intense and that the COG aims of protecting the freehold of the site, enforcing free access to the river frontage and including non-commercial community space were supported strongly.

Personally I was not convinced by the arguments in favour selling the freehold of the Old Gaol. It would of course free the Council from future responsibility to spend time dealing with issues over which they had not much control. But a downside would include loss of any real chance for the community to be secure in any provision for free access to the riverside.

After the meeting, people had a chance to see Michael Howell's fascinating model of his vision of how the Old Gaol could be used as a large theatre with the potential for including community facilities. This could be a very attractive idea if it emerges as a bid from a developer with a firm business plan.

GOG now has a lot of work to do, a major part of which will be to achieve a "voice at the table".

Plese send your comments to this blog. Click the "comments" link and follow the instructions. I hope its not too difficult!

More news to follow shortly!

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The Old Gaol today

Here stands the Old Gaol at Abingdon, looking a bit forlorn and waiting for its as yet unknown future at the hands of developers. We at COG believe firmly that it is a big mistake for its present owners, the Vale of the White Horse District Council to sell the freehold to a developer, but this is what they have in mind.