The McColls Newsagent,with its post office in Reynolds Way, closed a month or so back. There are currently no plans for an alternative Post Office in that part of town, and a lot of people are suffering as a result.

Last Saturday I went into the nearest post office, in the Co-op in the town centre, and saw the biggest queue I had ever seen there. It had filled the airport style queueing barriers and extended back almost to the Co-op counter.

The chip shop in Reynolds Way has also closed but I am told that it is closed only for refurbishment.

The TSB has announced that it will be closing 82 branches in 2020,

and the TSB at 1 Stert Street will close in April 2020.

A spokesman said this was ‘in response to changing customer behaviour’.

This is not the first time a Trustee Savings Bank has closed in Abingdon. Trustee Savings Banks began as places for smaller savers. A local Savings Bank (with trustees) was started in Abingdon in 1820 and closed in 1892. It too was in Stert Street. An article in the Reading Mercury of 1902 reported that many local Trustee Savings Banks had closed and their deposits been transferred to the Post Office Savings Bank, including the one in Abingdon.

The current Abingdon Trustee Saving Bank opened at 1 Stert Street in the 1940s. Trustee Savings Banks amalgamated between 1970 and 1985 to form one Trustee Savings Bank that got renamed TSB. The TSB went on to merge with Lloyds and so for some years Abingdon had two Lloyds TSBs.

After the 2008 banking collapse, and government rescue, the TSB was forcibly separated from Lloyds. It did not get the best of separations, and now the TSB is closing branches.

The Christmas Craft Market was on the Market Place in Abingdon today.

Some of the Park Run runners meet at Java & Co after their 5 km run.

The Town Crier is seen here in front of a local honey stall and Beyond Bubbles. There must have been about sixteen stalls on the Market. It is organised by Abingdon-on-Thames Chamber of Commerce who seem to do far more than the BID (Business Improvement District) ever did. The Chamber represents the shops.

Looking round the shops, finishing touch is a Christmas Wonderland, full of decorations and gifts.

Abingdon Sports have festive footballs and rugby balls alongside some warm looking gloves.

It will soon be time for the blog’s annual round up of gains and losses in Abingdon Town Centre.

Thursday 5 pm to 8 pm  is a late shopping night on Stert Street and some other independent shops.

Then Saturday is Small Business Saturday – with civic car parks free. There is also a Christmas Craft Market all day Saturday.

Free parking also happens on 14th and 21st December – to encourage us to do some Christmas Shopping in the Town Centre.

Abingdon Beer Festival returns to the Abbey Buildings on Friday and Saturday.

Also on Saturday 7th December Abingdon Town Band have their Christmas Concert.

Then on Sunday, Fourhorsemen events told me ‘We’ll have many stalls selling many different items and a kitchen offering a variety of different foods.‘  Looking at their facebook page they try to attract stalls selling antiques, collectibles, and crafts.

With Christmas on its way, one could easily forget there is a general election. The result will be announced on Friday 13th.