Happy New Year, Abingdon! Almost a hundred walk the Town Boundary

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This morning, around 90 enthusiastic Abingdonians (and several dogs) set off on a special New Year’s Day tradition: walking the ancient boundary of our borough. This centuries-old walk follows the line laid out in the 1556 charter, back when it was the official duty of the Mayor and Council. After a break, the tradition was revived in 2000, and it’s been going strong ever since!

The charter gives a detailed description of the boundary, and it’s close to the red line drawn in 1831 for the Abingdon Parliamentary boundary (see above). Today, the Ock Valley Walk mud forced us to detour along Caldecott Road. But otherwise, we stuck fairly close to the boundary.

Our guide for the day was the silver-tongued Helen Pighills, with our very own Town Crier keeping things lively with his hangover-hurting bell and loud voice and entertaining announcements. He even gave a plug to the Abingdon Drama Club’s upcoming production of Peter Pan (he’s playing Captain Hook, by the way!). The young lady playing Peter Pan was also on the walk. Catch the show if you can – tickets are available at https://www.abingdon-drama-club.com/.

Despite the threat of rain, the weather held out, and around 60 folks made it all the way to Abingdon Lock, the final stop on our boundary journey.

Helen even pointed out one of the ancient boundary stones near the lock. It was a great way to start the new year, and if you missed it, and were stuck indoor watching repeats of Richard Osman’s House of Games, don’t worry, there is next year, but it might be raining then.

River Ock in Abingdon – December 2023

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The Ock Valley Walk is muddy at the moment. It looks like a cross-country course with the ground churned and the path spreading as people try to avoid the mud.

Birds are easier to see now that the leaf cover has gone.

This may be a dunnock (Hedge Sparrow).

Long Tailed Tit.

There is a tunnel through some very thick bushes and a hide facing the river. It was out of sight until now.

There are also places where litter is now revealed including a dump from some travellers that was not evident before. I saw two town council staff looking at it and they said they’d have to take a lorry down.

There are lots of squirrels along the Ock Valley Walk.

Also more ducks than at other times during the year.

The river is high and sandy looking from all the sediment. It is raining again heavily this evening.

Abingdon Town Centre Shop Changes in 2023

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2023 roundup
Press on Changes in 2023 for a bigger (pdf) map version showing the changes.

Key:
Green is a vacant shop at the start of the year and is now occupied.
Yellow means a business change or name change.
Red is a shop occupied at the start of the year and now vacant.

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 4
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 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2014 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2015 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2016 ( 10 green, 5 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 5
Change in 2017 ( 3 green, 6 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 4
Change in 2018 ( 7 green, 6 yellow, 4 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2019 ( 4 green, 3 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2020 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 8 red) – Net Loss 2
Change in 2021 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 8 red) – Net Loss 2
Change in 2022 ( 4 green, 2 yellow, 5 red) – Net Loss 1
Change in 2023 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 3 red) – Net Gain 6

Welcome to:

The Dog Spot

Govand Barbers

Keystone – Abingdon Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub

Lotti’s Bakeaway

Oxford Grazing Deli

Pappy’s ‘Back A Yard’

Tech Repair Clinic

Thomas Cleary & Sons Flooring Specialists

Goodbye to:
Udon Thai Market
Spruce (currently closed but likely to reopen under new management)

Moved inside Town Centre:
Abingdon Thai Massage
Orange Frog Mortgages

Change to business in same premises
A-Plan became Howdens
Established Barbers became Bubs Barbers
Flaming Grill became Tripoli Lebanese
Karims Trims became Turkish Barber Abingdon
Robert Stanley became Bayfields

(let me know of any mistakes in this annual roundup)

New Chapter with the right medicine

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It is over three years since The Old Chemist business closed, and the windows were boarded up ten days ago. A legal notice has been stuck to the door, saying that the landlord has changed the locks and taken back possession. It gives the leaseholder fourteen days to apply to retrieve what is left inside, or their possessions will be sold or disposed of. The Abingdon Herald had more details of the history of The Old Chemist Gin Bar at https://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/24003683.abandoned-gin-bar-abingdon-repossessed/.

The clock ticks for the old leaseholder, but this will begin a new chapter for a building that once housed Abingdon Library and Smiths the Chemist. A prescription of business know-how and a dose of creativity will see the building up and about.

Avicenna, the chemist chain who took over Smiths, is the landlord.