Stuart sent me a link for the Aldi Abingdon Consultation. Aldi would like to establish a new store near the development in North West Abingdon and want people to have their say at https://aldiconsultation.co.uk/abingdon/. It would be a modestly sized food store with parking for 103 cars and 40 jobs.
The proposed site is the top end of the circus field where there was an archaeological dig two weeks ago.
The Vale of White Horse District Council are urging us to support local traders as they confirm the free parking days in the run up to Christmas. In Abingdon they will be the Saturdays (5, 12, 19 December) .
December 5th is also Small Business Saturday.
People were volunteering in one the charity shops today, decorating the window and getting the shop ready to open. Such shops will be permitted to reopen from Wednesday at 1am.
The rest of the winter will be uncertain for traders. There could be further closures.
Oxfordshire will be in the new tier 2 …
The busy Abbey play area can be seen beyond this backwater. One of the last things to reopen after the first lockdown were the play parks. This time round the play parks have been kept open and at weekends look busy.
Before reaching the play area I saw a man litter picking. He is a key worker and does many hours litter picking as well as his work. He now counts the face masks he picks up. Last week he counted about 400.
A friend reported going to visit B&M on the Fairacres trading estate yesterday but then decided not to join the large queue. B&M have done very well during both lockdowns as they sell both essentials and non essentials.
Businesses have received letters telling them to prepare for the change to trading and employment rules as a result of the end of the one year transition period.
There are more places using Click and Collect during this second lockdown. In Abingdon town centre there are notices outside:
Fabulous Flowers,
Mostly Books,
and Abingdon Library. The library also allows pre-booked access to computers.