Work has been continuing over the weekend at the building previously known as the Ox Pub , to turn it into a Tesco Express. The opening date must be imminent.
Chiller cabinets can be see where there once was a bar.
Best One, a family run convenience store, two doors down, with just The Magic Wok separating their business from the new Tesco Express, will soon know the effect on their trade.
The big Market Place tree was recyled first, and there followed a host of smaller trees, some carried from nearby flats and houses ….
others brought by car from further out. The town council staff are hoping to beat last year’s total of 140 trees. The recycled trees will be used on places like the Ock Valley Walk.
Also, it is the last day today for the Calendar Shop, but the Christmas Shop is still in business..
This is the state of the town centre on a mild Thursday at the end of 2011.
(Press on image for a bigger pdf version. Not a brilliant map and not to scale but it serves this yearly purpose.)
Key:
Green is a shop that was vacant at the start of the year which is now occupied.
Yellow means a change of ownership.
Red is a vacant shop premises that was occupied at the start of the year.
Change in 2007 ( 6 green, 5 yellow, 10 red ) – Net Loss 4
Change in 2008 ( 10 green, 8 yellow, 13 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2009 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2010 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2011 ( 2 green, 8 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Loss 3
In 2011, there was the closure of Stroll In and the 90p shop who probably found competition with Poundland difficult. Thorntons also closed as part of a national rationalisation.
We said goodbye to Camino replaced by Bath Street Bistro, Salinas was replaced by the Lemon Grove, and Daddy’s Cafe was replaced by Zabb Thai.
Bucknell and Ballard were taken over by Davis Tate, and Abingdon Letting became Oxfordshire Estates.
Acreedo Tattoes moved from Ock Street to High Street. West End News moved and was renamed as Abingdon News Plus to make way for the imminent redevelopment of the Abbey Shopping Centre. And Property Weekly moved out of town soon after the launch of the Oxfordshire Guardian .
Azuri accesories closed. The Plough closed for a while then reopened refurbished as the Harp. And Newton Alexander closed for a while and was replaced by Utopia Boutique.
(I have not included the addition of the Christmas Shop as I assume it is temporary but have included Calendar Club which is more likely to carry on longer.)
The 175th anniversary of Coxeters (founded 1836) makes Coxeters older than Sainsbury’s (founded 1869), Tesco(founded 1919), Asda (1949), Argos (1973 re-branded Green Shield Stamps shop), and Poundland (1990).
Two men were putting up the 175 years banners today. There was an article in the local newspapers last week, and the offer of a free tea tray with an old picture of Coxeters for paying customers.
Coxeters began as an ironmonger. They also got into selling furniture, household items, and bicycles. Since 1984 Coxeters have managed the property and sublet units to other traders.
See Coxeter House for more information.
