Old Abbey House has been boarded-up in the last week to avoid further vandalism and attempts to break in. The building has been little used since Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council and the Citizens Advice moved out in May 2014. Old Abbey House is now part of the bigger ‘one public estate’ review of council buildings in the town centre being carried out by Oxfordshire County Council and partners. A year ago it was suggested the building could be used as the start of new Council housing but that is now subject to the bigger review.

The boarding at the upper reaches hotel is a longer term measure while the hotel leaseholder reviews opportunities for future development which the owner of the buildings, the Vale of White Horse District Council, will allow.

I have heard no reports of haunting at these two buildings.

Avalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. Avalon House is now a business address in Abingdon

Argos was a hundred-eyed giant in Greek mythology. Argos is now a well known store in Abingdon.

Businesses with names from legend and mythology have come to Abingdon.

Abingdon has been around since the Iron Age and has a few legends and myths of its own.

Steve has sent me a picture of a dog sign that looks the same age as the one put on the blog 2 days ago. He found it between Bella Napoli and Frend & Co Jewellers.

Then to trump that he also sent a sign, above the Fatface shop, that could have been left from the Coronation of King George V in 1911. The Latin for George V that appeared on coins from 1911 was GEORGIVS V. (I am not sure why a ‘C’ rather than a ‘V’ is used on the sign.)

This is a detail from a larger Coronation picture from 1911 taken in Abingdon where the crowd could be gathered for the bun throwing, or perhaps for the moment when people first joined in ‘God Save the King’ for George V.

And here is an advert for A.H.Simpson & Son – Tailors and Outfitters from about that time, as it appeared in the Hooke’s Abingdon Almanack.

The building is now the premises of FATFACE Abingdon, where the facade of the upper two storeys have not changed much in over 100 years, but no longer copy the arches of the lower floor.

Taken from the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette. © Successor rightsholder unknown. All Rights Reserved.

14th September 1918

Mr Walter Barnett, of Back Street, Abingdon, has again been a successful exhibitor of rabbits at the Stockinford Show, Nuneaton.

Pte. C. J. S. Dixon, 20, Grenadier Guards, youngest son of Mr Dixon, West St. Helen’s Street, Abingdon, is reported to have been killed in action in France, August 25th. He was formerly employed at the Abingdon Post Office

Mrs Lee, of the Bridge, Abingdon, has received through the War Office, notification that her husband, Pte. Fred James Lee, 4th Royal Berks, who was wounded in the legs and a prisoner of war in Germany, died on July 5th at the War Hospital Barrack, Alexandrinan, Berlin, and was buried the Military Churchyard, Hasenheide. Deceased was for many years employed at the Abingdon Carpet Factory. Mrs Lee lost her only son few months ago, who was killed in action in France.

Sapper A. W. Gawler, K.E., son of Mrs Gawler, Bath Street, was mentioned in Sir Stanley Maude’s latest dispatch for distinguished services in Mesopotamia. Before joining up he was employed at Mr J. Rickett’s, Abingdon, a carpenter.

21st September 1918

Pte. Donald Cullen, 20, London Scottish Regt., youngest son of Mr Edwin Cullen, East St. Helens, Abingdon, is reported as having been killed in action on August 23rd. He was an old Roysse Schoolboy, and on the outbreak of war served for a year voluntarily in the Y M.C.A.. He enlisted at the age of 17, and was sent to France last May.

The Abingdon Corporation workers have this week been on strike. It appears that eleven workmen gave a week’s notice to strike unless they got an increase of 75 per cent, on pre war wages. This the Town Council refused, and the men therefore left, most of them, it seems, taking up work at the Milton Military Depot. The strikers included the foreman, scavengers, waterworks engineer, and men employed at the pumping station. The work this week has been carried by the workmen of local plumbers.

On Tuesday afternoon, a motor lorry, to which was attached one of the large canvas-constructed vehicles for carrying aeroplane parts, was proceeding over the Abingdon River Bridge, when the boisterous wind overturned it into the river, knocking down a portion of the parapet of the bridge. The wreckage was soon removed and the river navigation was very little interfered with.

28th September 1918

Sapper W. D. Souverier, son of Mr E. S Souverier, of St. John’s Road, Abingdon, is in Hospital in France through being gassed.

Pte. Tom Pratt, Somerset Regt., son of Mrs T. Pratt, Vineyard, Abingdon, is also in hospital through being gassed on Sept. 9th

Pte, A. G. Crook, Duke of Wellington West Riding Regt, formerly of the Royal Berks, eldest son of Mr Crook, West St Helens, is reported wounded.

The second surviving son of the late Major-General Bailie, Caldecott House, Abingdon, Mr Sholte Bailie, who has just passed ‘ his Military training at Sandhurst College, had been asked to join the Irish Guards, in memory of his brother, who was killed in action at Givenchy

Mr J Horsley, of 7, Lombard Street Abingdon, picked up a despatch case lying open on the road, containing neatly £300 in Treasury notes and silver. He took it to the Police Station at Abingdon, where information of the loss had been given. It appears that the money was lost by a grocer’s traveller from Reading, who had insecurely fastened the case to his motor cycle.

The Mayor of Abingdon on Wednesday evening in last week presided over a public.meeting at the Roysse Room in connection with the call for women to join Queen Mary’s Auxiliary Corps.

Taken from https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.