This building was once a pub but is now the Royal British Legion Club and HQ.

In the function room beside the bar, George Haslam was tonight conducting his Abingdon Big Band – ‘Swingtime’.

The British Legion Club and HQ is about to be ‘refurbished’

and ,by about Easter, will be ready again

should George return blowing his whistle on ‘track twenty-nine‘ on the Chattanooga choo choo.

Albert and Walter (two six-year old horses) were in town giving rides along Abbey Close to wedding guests at the Guildhall.

Save Radley Lakes tombola was also in town.

Last week brought floods, explosions, fire, and traffic jams.

Some old Abingdonians were disturbed and sat upright thinking they heard the old town calling them to duty. But it was too strange. The long line of traffic meant nothing to them.

Gordon Roger’s last front page as the Abingdon reporter was about the Almshouses needing £1m. Reroofing +. Gordon may have been the last journalist dedicated to reporting exclusively on Abingdon. He talked to people: getting to know what was going on. He became part of the order of the town.

The graves have been settled down again, and secured, and await reconsecration. But it was like a warning things are getting out of order.

Next door to Busy Bee are two shops that have been empty for a considerable while. They were both charity shops. The far one was the Red Cross Shop. The near one was the Animal Sanctuary and the Co-op funeral service. Both have a sign TO LET. Both have ‘Under Offer’.

One of them is looking to change from retail to financial and professional services (banks, lawyers, betting offices, estate agents, media etc) and seeks planning permission.

Another retail area looking for a change is the upstairs floors of what was Dawsons. They are seeking permission to change from retail to residential.