F Knight & Sons, on Ock Street, have been taken over by Sydenhams, a large family run business with outlets in Wessex – where Sydenhams proudly sponsor the Wessex Football League.

According to their old website, Fred Knight originally opened as a small electrician’s shop on Marcham Road around 1960, and quickly grew as sons joined the family business. The shop eventually moved to larger premises, before moving to the current location on Ock Street in 2000, where Ballards used to be.

In the last couple of years Knights have expanded, taking over all the buildings in the yard – that stretch to the River Ock – for the display and storage of timber and other building supplies.

Previously TVE Plant and Tool Hire, and Plastics Direct shared the yard.

It was a surprise to see, this evening, that there is a Closing Down Sale at The Shoe Shop of Abingdon. This independent shop sells quality shoes and handbags, and there has been a shoe shop on that site for many years.

The shop unit in Bury Street between Card Factory and Holland and Barrett is being worked upon, as though somebody is about to move in.

There is also work underway at Coxeter House now that Abode have moved out.

The lights have been out at the broad face for some days now.

The most recent landlord, who started in June last year, put on a steady stream of interesting music acts, and weekly open mic nights. The poster in the window is from the New Year’s Eve event.

Another chapter in the long and eventful history of the Broad Face pub is over. What next?