A smart new restaurant will soon be opening on West St Helen Street. The window whitener has been removed, revealing decorative lights inside, and a row of neatly topiary trees now stands outside the window.
A French restaurant has been expected at this site, and with the frontage now looking finished, the opening will not be far away.
It is where Rosie’s Tea Room once operated, and before that Frugal Food.
There are three or four businesses about to open in Abingdon Town Centre. The first opening on Saturday 7th March at 26 Stert Street is a clinic offering a range of skincare treatments. The premises has been refurbished recently with a uniform colour scheme. A ‘Grand Opening’ notice was added this week. It operates on an appointment-only basis, with bookings made online via its website.
Some vinyl signage has appeared in the window of 4 High Street for the upcoming ‘The Old Shop Nursery’. The opening is advertised for Spring ’26, with a website at montiandme.co.uk.
From the information available, the premises appears set to combine retail and childcare, offering games, toys and clothing alongside child day-care activities. The main person behind the new company has experience in Montessori education, with a particular emphasis on working with multilingual children.
I gather that Montessori education is an approach that encourages independence, curiosity and hands-on learning, allowing children to choose activities at their own pace rather than following a rigid, teacher-led structure.
There is already another Montessori nursery at Radley Place in Abingdon.
It is hard to say exactly how the refit is progressing as the former Homebase store is transformed into a M&S Foodhall at Fairacres Retail Park. Most of the activity happens out of sight. Contractors enter through a turnstile gate at the rear.
What is clear is that the Homebase signs were there a few days ago.
Now they are all gone.
There are already M&S Foodhalls in Oxford and Didcot, but this one has the advantage of being closer to the A34, making it convenient for passing trade as well as local shoppers.
As for Homebase, all their stores have gone.