The former Dorothy Perkins store at 26 Bury Street, vacant since its closure in 2018, will see new life tomorrow. On Saturday, 14th, Decembers the shutters will open to reveal a brightly lit branch of a tech specialist who repair, buy and sell mobile phones, and sell accessories. The company also have a branch in the Orchard Centre in Didcot.
This week, St Helen’s Church has been a hub of activity as local schools bring in large groups of students for their Carol Concerts. These gatherings attract up to 700 young people at a time, filling the church with all the additional chairs.
The services are primarily led by the schools’ own chaplains or teachers and St Helen’s staff play a supportive role. The majority of the organisational work, including managing the large groups of children, is handled by the school staff. On Monday was the Abingdon Prep School Carol Concert; on Tuesday Our Lady’s Abingdon Carol Concerts (there were two); today, Thursday, the Manor Prep School has a day of Concerts; and tomorrow is the Abingdon School Carol Service.
It will then be the end of term for all these schools, which are not in the state sector. The state schools have another week to go. Their carol concerts are next week.
One unique aspect of St Helen’s preparations is the Jesse Tree, a Christmas tree that depicts the lineage of Jesus Christ. Each day, additional figures are added to the tree.
An Arcadian Christmas Concert is at St Helens Church on Saturday. The Arcadian Singers are a student-run chamber choir based in Oxford.
It’s a difficult time for staff at Abingdon’s Homebase store, which is set to close. The closure is one of many nationwide after the company, owned by Hilco, went into administration last month. While some branches were bought by the owner of The Range, Abingdon wasn’t among them, and no buyer was found for most of the remaining stores.
There’s no official closing date yet. For now, the store is holding a closing-down sale. Notices say ‘Administration Sale’ and ‘Store Closing: Everything must Go’. It is the busiest I have seen the store since it opened in September 2021. There are far more staff than usual.
Shoppers can find some big discounts, with Christmas trees and decorations going for 50% off. Other products are 50% or 40% off.
There must be a science to applying discounts in a closing down situation. There is 10% off paints and fleeces.
It’s a sad end for the store and staff who must be facing a worrying Christmas, but at the same time, the rest of us don’t want to miss out on a good deal.
During the first week of December, the row of bollards along St Helen’s Wharf in Abingdon was decorated with crochet covers. The robin and Christmas pudding designs alternate. Last year there were just Christmas Puddings and half of those have reappeared for the second year joined by well rounded robins.
Somebody’s hard work has brought festive cheer to this picturesque spot by the Thames.