After two weeks away on summer holidays, the first change I noticed on coming home was that the ex Abingdon News plus is getting ready to re-open as a shop selling ‘oven fresh savouries‘ and ‘cakes and treats‘. It has been furnished and painted and awaits a sign.

Good to see that work is also well underway at the Crown and Thistle, following my previous report which was seen as irresponsible in some quarters.

While on holiday I had a very select group of two people following my tweets from ‘Not Abingdon‘ . I have just got my suitcase back after bringing home a suitcase identical to mine. The other suitcase owner made the same mistake when we got back to Oxford in the dark. It was a case of mistaken suitcases.

Close by on one side of Mayott House (featured yesterday) is the Cross Keys pub – re-opened after a short closure during which Greene King found a new landlord. The Cross Keys has much needed accommodation for tourists wanting to stay in Abingdon during the summer.

On the other side is 100 Ock Street.

Until recently number 100 was the HQ for a company providing Cloud Based Computing Services. That company moved to Abingdon Science Park to fly a bigger cloud. Replacing them are some familiar names, to the town centre, at least …

Lansbrough Lettings were in West St Helen Street, and T & Co Financial Services were nearby in Lombard Street – tempted away by the facilities that number 100 Ock Street provides.

Also at 100 are Dr Ken Stalker, Private Dental and Implant Practice, and The Complementary Healthcare Practice.

I dare say “Terms and conditions apply and this offer can not be used in conjunction with any other offer” but have not phoned the number to find out.

Three or four years ago, when this time of low or negative economic growth began, companies appeared in Abingdon buying gold. First they hired space at the Guildhall on Saturdays.

Then to our surprise one of them opened up a gold buying shop on the Market Place.

That shop has just closed – possibly a sign that better economic growth is about to return.

Gold prices have been falling in the last couple of months. Stock prices have been rising.