The last few days have seen a variety of contractors coming to play their part in the transformation of this shop on the Market Place. In the last twenty four hours the sign ‘COFFEE REPUBLIC’ has gone up.

It was once an Estate Agent’s.

Kitchen and Bathroom Transformations have just moved in to one of the front units at Coxeters. They were previously round the corner but have expanded.

It was Oxford Beds.

This is the view down Lombard Street. The four-storey block fits well into the street scene.

The pavement has been laid, and the shop windows are being put in, and it will soon be time to knock out the brieze blocks that have kept it secure while it was windowless. But lets hope it still turns out to be a Co-op. There are doubts because we also have a Somerfield in Abingdon…

From the Scotsman on 21 October 2008 ‘THE Co-operative’s £1.6 billion takeover of Somerfield has been given the green light by competition watchdogs in a move cementing its place as the UK’s fifth-biggest supermarket chain. But the Co-op will have to offload at least 126 stores to address competition concerns in local grocery markets, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said.’

One good haunt is The Plough where you can not only enjoy a pint but also see The Grim Reaper.

The Old Gaol is a building where prisoners once met a grisly end at the gallows. One boy was only eight. Tales of its being haunted are well documented.

The room above the Abbey Gateway was an even older Gaol, and it too experienced bad things, and is said to be haunted.

This picture outside the Abbey Grounds shows the results of the excavation for Abbey House. Abingdon has a lot of history.

Tales of hauntings in East Saint Helen Street abound. So its safe to say all the buildings down this way are possibly haunted, and that King William III (of Orange) could still be kicking around in the house – with the blue plaque – where he stayed.

Local Roots, at the top of East Saint Helen Street, also have a witch in the window.

But for a lot of people Halloween is a chance to dress up and have a party.

Artistic Pumpkins at Fabulous Flowers.
Pumpkins for Sale at Peachcroft Farm

Not all the pumpkins are destined for Halloween. Some will end up in the Christmas Dinner.