The big sign advertising 6 months free rent has come down. Shelves have been put in place for the what I believe will be a CD and DVD exchange (possibly records and other objects too). Time will soon tell.
Abingdon Fashion are having a closing down sale, and will be open on alternating Saturdays until they have sold most of the remaining stock – or the lease comes to an end.
The shop started as a way of people selling second hand clothes, but since being renamed as Abingdon Fashion they have been selling new clothes for women and children.
Sweet Chocolate opened in Stert Street during September 2009 and closed down today. They thank all their customers for the last 5 years and may have an online presence some time in the future.
They provided some good gifts over Christmas and for special occasions – particularly the jars full of assorted sweets. Everything was half price today. They say there just was not enough footfall to make a shop like theirs work at other times.
Simon’s Emporium (pictured above) , down East St Helen Street, are expanding their range of sweets to fill the gap in the market now Sweet Chocolate have gone.
Press on Changes in 2013 for a bigger pdf version. Not a brilliant map and not to scale but it serves this yearly purpose.
Key:
Green is a shop that was vacant at the start of the year which is now occupied.
Yellow means a change of ownership.
Red is a vacant shop premises that was occupied at the start of the year.
Change in 2007 ( 6 green, 5 yellow, 10 red ) – Net Loss 4
Change in 2008 ( 10 green, 8 yellow, 13 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2009 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2010 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2011 ( 2 green, 8 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2012 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 1
Change in 2013 ( 7 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Gain 1
The Narrows (Wetherspoons) opened on the High Street in the Old Post Office. QC closed.
Art and Stuff is now where Skinny Hippo was. The Olives has replaced Kitsons.
New Look moved and took one of the new larger units down Bury Street. Costa expanded by knocking through into the empty Jessops premises. Hatton Goldsmiths downsized and took one of the Bury Street kiosks. Phone Box took the other kiosk.
Philosphy moved to the Market Place, and was replaced by Simon’s News who had vacated ER Goffs, now undergoing a refurbishment.
Salinas came back – more as a Coffee / Snack place than the restaurant it had been before.
Belinda’s Jewellery Box opened where there had not been shop recently on East St Helen Street. Sean Antony should follow soon.
On West St Helen Street it was goodbye to Faulkner Photography and Paul Viney Photography who continue to operate but without a town centre studio. Withy King (moved to Vineyard Chambers), Lansborough Estate (moved to Ock Street), and Natural Health (moved to Coxeter House). AAH Printer Solutions moved from Coxeter House. Chaba Thai moved in where The Thai Orchid used to be.
