Collette wrote a week or so ago to say there a new Italian restaurant opened in Reynolds Way (Gainsborough Green area). She says “ It’s called Forno. We decided to try it out at lunchtime and were very impressed. It’s a no frills looking place but is clean. The people who run it (a young Albanian couple) are friendly and the food was very good indeed – nice fresh – great pizza base. It’s also good value. Their website is Forno Abingdon .”

Not far away work has begun on the ex Saxton Arms. The most recent plans were to turn it into flats after the idea of more shops got rejected.

For the last nine years Outdoor Traders have run a shop on the High Street, in Abingdon, where Braggs the cycle shop used to be.

Outdoor Traders began by selling outdoor clothes, following on from the smaller Outdoor Traders shop in East St Helen Street. But the pull of the bike heritage must have been too strong in the High Street building, and the shop started to concentrate on cycles and skiing, with a cycle workshop. However the shop announced a few weeks ago, on Facebook, that they will be closing at the end of June and the owners are ‘moving to pastures new’. They thanked all their customers and friends for their support over the years. Now Closing Down signs are up.

In about 2013 the Outdoor Traders Cycle Club started up and now has over a hundred members. They are often to be seen in the distinct OTCC livery – cycling from or to the shop, or out on country lanes. They also now have a Race team. The cycling club will probably find a new base.

The Abingdon-on-Thames Business Improvement District, covering the town centre, was two years in the planning, and has been operating now for one year.

It was voted in by a majority of businesses, and charges businesses a levy in addition to the usual business rate. It has employed a town centre manager, and in feedback to members has noted the following achievements …

It has developed the Visit Abingdon brand, with the visitabingdon.co.uk website and a promotional brochure for visitors.

It has co-ordinated an annual events calendar, and helped put on new seasonal events at Hallowe’en, Christmas (Carols round town) , and Easter (Egg and Spoon races)

It has put up bunting in bid areas.

It has installed footfall counters in 9 locations and monitors and reports the findings and the effect of promotions.

It has set up workshops on business topics such as using social media, and is looking to develop a utilities buying group.

It chases up landlords of empty units and contacts potential businesses to attract them to the area.

It also reports minor issues in the BID area to councils, and lobbies councils on larger issues such as the future use of the charter, and the empty Upper Reaches.

Today was Mother’s Day and Rosie’s Cafe on West St Helen Street opened specially to serve tea and cakes.

Whereas most buildings along West St Helen Street have been knocked down and rebuilt in the last sixty years, Rosie’s Cafe is in an original building with a cellar, old roof timbers and a floor with a long history.

Rosie’s has undergone a change in the last month, with some redecoration, and Rosie, the dairy cow, has moved in.

Sixty years ago this shop was called St Helen’s Dairy and would have sold milk, eggs, and dairy products. Now they serve tea and home made cakes, home made soup and bread.