It’s a difficult time for staff at Abingdon’s Homebase store, which is set to close. The closure is one of many nationwide after the company, owned by Hilco, went into administration last month. While some branches were bought by the owner of The Range, Abingdon wasn’t among them, and no buyer was found for most of the remaining stores.

There’s no official closing date yet. For now, the store is holding a closing-down sale. Notices say ‘Administration Sale’ and ‘Store Closing: Everything must Go’. It is the busiest I have seen the store since it opened in September 2021. There are far more staff than usual.

Shoppers can find some big discounts, with Christmas trees and decorations going for 50% off. Other products are 50% or 40% off.

There must be a science to applying discounts in a closing down situation. There is 10% off paints and fleeces.

It’s a sad end for the store and staff who must be facing a worrying Christmas, but at the same time, the rest of us don’t want to miss out on a good deal.

The Midget pub in Abingdon is set to reopen on Friday, December 13th, 2024, under a new name: The Roaring Raindrop. The new name pays tribute to the last record-breaking MG car made in Abingdon.

The old name honoured the record-breaking 750cc MG ‘Magic’ Midget cars of the 1930s, produced in Abingdon. It was a clever name as MG appears in both Magic and Midget.

The pub has been closed for a revamp and rebranding following an online petition signed by over 1,000 people who objected to the name ‘The Midget’ which when applied to small people is insulting. The name was changed from ‘The Magic Midget’ to ‘The Midget’ in about 2002.

The address of the pub is The Roaring Raindrop, Midget Close, Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

Homebase in Abingdon is facing an uncertain future. The current store opened three years ago after the Fairacres phase 2 redevelopment, and replaced an older Homebase at the same location.

The company has gone into administration, putting 2,000 jobs at risk. 70 stores have been sold, and 49 will continue to operate while negotiations with potential buyers are ongoing.

It’s unclear whether the Abingdon store is among the 70 sold or the 49 with a less certain future. Staff have been put on notice that their jobs are at risk of redundancy, and are facing a worrying time just before Christmas.