Spruce Dry Cleaning, an Abingdon institution for 30 years, closed its doors on November 30th 2023 and has ‘Closing Down’ signs in the window. However, the outgoing message on Google suggests this will not be forever. ‘Spruce will open again under new management at some stage in the future,’ the message reads. ‘In the meantime, we’d like to thank all of you for using Spruce over the years, and we wish you well in the future!’

Dry cleaning isn’t as dry as the name implies. Water was avoided to prevent fabric damage, and a liquid solvent was used. But nowadays, a range of different techniques are available, including a dry cleaning system that uses water (ref 1).

ref 1: https://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/market-research/sector-trends/dry-cleaner-sector-trends

The Old Anchor, a historic riverside pub in Abingdon, is now available to lease on a free-of-tie basis. This means the new tenant can buy their beer from any supplier, giving them greater flexibility and independence. The details are at https://www.fleurets.com.

The pub closed in May 2023, and in August, the Oxford Mail reported that Greene King had decided to stop managing the Old Anchor as one of their tied pubs.

If you see a house with Christmas lights up on 8th November, the people who live there are probably trying to spread some good cheer and enjoy the season a little longer.

And when Bury Street, has its Christmas Lights on 8th November, it could be that the management company have read the studies that show that Christmas Lights help boost people’s mood. Many small businesses rely on the festive season for a significant portion of their annual revenue, and shopping early can help them.

The Bookstore, an independent bookstore in Abingdon-on-Thames, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month. Thanks to Ian and his staff, and the shop’s commitment to providing excellent service and promoting local concerns, The Bookstore has continued for 25 years, even as Amazon and e-books have changed the landscape of the book industry. Ian said that their first-ever customer still visits the shop.

Two highlights for me, writing this blog, are the long queues that stretched down the precinct each time a new Harry Potter book was released and the long queues when Terry Wogan came to visit, not once but twice, and being able to meet the man.

Today was quieter, with rain falling.

Ian also features in one of Geoff Dunbar’s cartoons in the Abingdon Museum Exhibition. Geoff had drawn an Abingdon bookseller from his youth and wanted to show him next to a contemporary bookseller.