Two new shops have opened this week.

Pedro the Cobbler opened up a new shop on Stert Sreet. He mends shoes, and sells a few shoes, cuts keys, and engraves. (Beyond Bubbles, who used to be there will be selling more at craft fairs, local events, and online, but some of her products are still available from Pedro, I believe.)

Meanwhile on East St Helen Street, Belinda Chong opened a new studio selling artwork and jewellery.

The ‘qs’ shop on Abingdon’s High street has had a closing down sale for the last couple of weeks.

‘qs’ were a chain of discount clothing stores, that were taken over and rebranded as ‘Store Twenty One’ in 2007.

Since then at least 75% of the stores now carry the ‘Store Twenty One’ name but not the Abingdon store which is still ‘qs’.

This Independent newspaper report says that Store Twenty One has not paid rent on some of its loss making stores and as a result “encounter a high degree of hostility from landlords”.

Having been reminded of buying our first cooker, around 1986, at the Gas Showroom, here is a fuller list of shops in Bury Street Precinct from about that time. Four are unchanged, and remarkably they are all now neighbours, and are pictured below as they look today.

If you were granted a wish to bring back one shop from the list (or from any other time), which would it be?

1/2 Columbian Cafe and Restaurant
3 Pic a Card
4 Radio Rentals
5 Adams Childswear
7 Parslows of Reading (Bakers)
8 Savory and Moore (Chemist)
9 Currys Ltd (Electrical)
10 Sketchley (Cleaners)
11 Dewhurst (Butchers)
12 K Shoes
13 Wigfalls Television
14 Frend & Co Limited (Jewellers)
15 Qualifruit
16 Halfords (Cycles / Motor Accesories)
17 H L Textiles
18 British Gas (Southern)
19 John Lane Ltd
21 Mister Mint
22 F W Woolworth & Co Ltd
23 Gateway Foodstore Ltd
24 Times Furnishing Ltd
25 H Samuel (Jeweller)

26 Clays (Butchers & Greengrocery)
26a Dorothy Perkins (Female Clothes)

27/28 Boots (The Chemist)

29 The Gift Centre

30 Centre News
32 Foster Bros Clothing Co Ltd (Male)
33 Focus Shoes
34 Lemon Plaice
35 Oxonian Travel Service
36 Abbey National Building Society
37 Mr Candy
37 Swiss Chalet
37 Gerrards Ltd (Greengrocers)

The shop on the High Street formerly known as ybuynu has changed to Abingdon Fashion. Previously people used to bring in nearly new clothes to be sold on, like a High Street Ebay, but now all the fashion is new and looks very spring like and summery.

The layout of the upstairs part of the shop is still recognisable from the days when Knights the bookshop used to be in this premises. Currently upstairs is being used for the remaining nearly new clothes, but soon both floors will be used for new Abingdon fashion.