Today’s Herald has a fuller roundup of the year, but I have run out of time to do 2014 justice except to say it went very quick …
In 2014 we sadly said goodbye to a number of well known Abingdon people. The funeral of Les Argyle, former Mayor of Ock Street, was on the blog in January, for what was a moving send off by the Morris Dancers.
One of the more spectacular blog pictures of the year came in February, when a tree came close to demolishing the Conduit House in Albert Park.
Our local recycling centre, in Drayton, has made a display of discarded Christmas decorations. I went there today to clear out some things that were beyond repair.
Our front door wreath was also recycled.
In March we got home to find that our son had recovered a wreath from a skip up the road. I wrote about the skip and some dangling guttering on this blog in a piece called “A Posh Skip in West St Helen Street.
April to October then just sped by…
Radio Abingdon Xtra stopped broadcasting in November. Their web site says “AbingdonXtra was a community radio station for Abingdon-On-Thames. Due to other commitments and funding it was closed down 20/11/2014. Thankyou to all out listeners, broadcasters and Sponsors.”
And in December we have learned that Abode are to close. There were queues for the start of their closing down sale on 27th December. Their window poster says “It is with great sadness that we have finally decided to close our fabulous store in Coxeter House, Abingdon. The past few years have been very challenging in the retail sector, and the way people shop has changed dramatically.”
Sorry to see Abode go. I shopped there regularly when I was living in Abingdon.
Thanks for the roundup. I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog during my first full year in Abingdon. Best wishes for 2015.
I, too, am sorry to see Abode go. When I first visited Abingdon a few years ago I was really impressed with Abode and bought lots of stuff to take back home. Since I have lived here I have shopped there. It is (was) one of the most interesting furniture shops around. What a pity it was not patronised sufficient to continue.
Happy nee year backstreeter and all
Thanks for the past year, Backstreeter; and a Happy New Year to one and all.
Lots to look forward to in 2015, including anniversaries of: Magna Carta (800 years); Agincourt (600 years); the Jacobite uprising (300 years); Waterloo (200 years)…. I look forward to the commemorative mugs 🙂
🙂 Happy New Year. Boundary walk at 11:30.
I don’t believe “Abode wasn’t patronised sufficiently to continue… ” I think there was a problem with their business model, and they didn’t supply what people wanted.
This isn’t a personal dig at all the hard working people at Abode necessarily….I just take umbridge in general that shops closing in town is “my fault”.
It is not up to me to buy things from them. It is up to them to sell me stuff. Between 9 and 5 on a weekday, when I am at work….I had no desire to buy a very large faux antique clock face!
So they still look very much open to me???
Will miss abode very much one of the nicest shops in Abingdon,