From the Brecon and Radnor Express on 22nd September 2017 … “CHARITY shops in Llandrindod Wells are asking people not to leave donations in doorways after bags were set on fire in the early hours.”

In Abingdon, three days later, on 25th September 2017 a Charity Shop fire caused a lot of damage. The Abingdon Herald quoted the charity’s coordinator as saying “… it was too early to speculate about the cause, but it is thought the fire might have started outside the front door where a pile of donations had been spotted earlier.”

We often see donations left in the porches of our local charity shops, despite the shops having notices asking people not to leave donations out of hours.

Back in November 2008 this blog reported that The Charter Day Centre for elderly people was moving. They needed more space, and were swapping places with the learning disability centre who needed less space. The Abbey Centre and Charter Centre were modified to make the swap possible. Now in 2017 I hear rumours that the day centre will be closing, and so anticipate the learning disability centre moving back to the Abingdon Health and Wellbeing Centre – formerly the Abbey Centre. Users will know more if I have got the wrong end of the stick.
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Also I read that ‘Oxfordshire Learning Disability Services has now moved to Oxford Health. The Learning Disability Services are specialist health services for people with a learning disability in Oxfordshire. Formerly provided by Southern Health, the staff have moved across.‘ So the signs outside the Abbey Centre will change again. Not just Southern Health but also The Alzheimer’s Society.

It has already been reported that the Alzheimer’s Society will be unable to continue providing services down at the Abbey Centre as the County Council are cutting funding for elderly people’s services generally. I have read that the County will give transitional financial support then expect care providers to become more self sustaining – a bit like those taking over the Children’s Centres. This is a large financial undertaking for such charities and their trustees.

You never know what you are going to find in the Oxfam shop in Abingdon. Last weekend there was German typewriter. The top line does not read QWERTY as the Y and Z have been swapped. Letters with umlauts such as Ä, Ö and Ü have been added on the other side.

Nearby, the Oxfam shop also has a QWERTY typewriter.

As the centrepiece, on another table, there is a beautiful old Singer sewing machine.

In the next couple of weeks, when the date is confirmed, a jazz record enthusiast will be playing music in the shop and selling off some of his large collection to raise funds for Oxfam.