Charity Shops are mainly a British phenomena. They benefit from tax concessions. They are exempt from corporation tax, pay no V.A.T. on donated goods, and get 80% business rates relief. In some areas local authorities let them off the remaining 20% (meaning no business rates).
Abingdon Town Centre has 9 charity shops:

Action for Peoples in Conflict
British Heart Foundation
British Red Cross
Cancer Research UK
Helen and Douglas House
Oxfam
Scope
Sue Ryder Care

The shops rely on volunteer staff for whom this is a chance to do something worthwhile and to meet people. I would have thought that we had reached saturation point with 8 shops, but the most recent arrival, Helen and Douglas House, is one of the best charity shops I’ve seen anywhere. nThese hospices for young people were set up by Sister Francis and are a well loved local charity.

Abingdon in Focus is a free local magazine and copies are to be found at the library, and are distributed to some homes in Abingdon.

The magazine has the intention of promoting local business and encouraging residents to use them. It also has a good recipe for carrot cake (printed below), a prize crossword, Sudoku, a guide to whats on in March, and a photo competition. The winner is published on the cover. This month the photograph is by Gary Curtis and the Copyright remains with him.

Abingdon in Focus has some useful telephone numbers, GP surgery times, library times and supermarket times. I like being able to compare such things in tables.

Carrot Cake
70g (3 oz) butter
250 g (9 oz) caster sugar
half tsp cinnamon
quarter pint plain yoghurt
50 g (2 oz) chopped nuts
270g (10 oz) plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 eggs, beaten
half tsp salt
350g (12 oz) carrot, finely grated

Topping
70 g (3 oz) icing sugar
25 g (1 oz) butter
225 g (8 oz) cream cheese
grated lemon rind

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs a little at a time, with a little flour. Sift the flour, bicarb, salt and cinnamon and add gradually, with the yoghurt. Fold in the carrot and nuts, then mix thoroughly. Turn into a greased cake tin (approx 20cm/8 in round) and bake at 180 C/ 350 F / Gas Mark 4 for 45 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.
When cool, cream all the topping mixture together, spread over the cake and refrigerate.

To the north of Abingdon, there is a tiny little church building called the Peachcroft Christian Centre. Such a small building might suit many of todays dwindling church congregations, but the Peachcroft Centre is rather popular, especially with young people. They go from all over Abingdon to the church led by the Reverend Steve Godfrey.

So the congregation have set about raising the sum of £560000 to make an extension possible, and last week the Mayor (Alison Rooke) was shown in the Abingdon Herald wielding the first spade.

At the corner of Lombard street and West St Helen Street, the blinds have been down on the shop front, since the last occupant left. The only indication that the shop was under new management was a ? in the window. Something inside was stirring. Yesterday it was open, and there were balloons in the window.

It was like a butterfly emerging from a crysalis. The shop sells polished crystals, and calming things like incense sticks, and little Buddhas. It is all layed out in a calm pleasing way.