The view of Abingdon Lock, from Abingdon Bridge, was hidden by a slight mist this Saturday Morning..
Posters have been put up around town announcing a circus, down Wootton Road, at the end of this month, and the annual Michaelmas Fair at the start of October.
Friends of Radley Lakes were on the Market Place, with a well stocked Tombola, with tickets at 50p. Tickets ending in ‘0’ win a prize.
The Cottage Imperial is currently closed, but there is now a notice saying that the premises will soon re-open as The Imperial Express.The lease was up, and the previous people decided, even though they loved Abingdon, to open a restaurant in the rapidly expanding town of Bicester instead.
Les, the remaining residents traffic warden, was doing his rounds in the town centre. He was about to retire this weekend, after 20 years in the job, but has been asked to continue until the new system is put in place. All will soon become clear.
As a long standing business owner in Abingdon I am personally thrilled that my fellow businesses have taken the initiative to take direct action in trying to increase footfall because I for one go home after a long day running my business and I have not attended any BID meetings so I applaud all those that have.
We are all well aware that shoppers use the internet, visit out of town shopping parks and with competition so close by Abingdon really needs to step up a gear and have the edge to entice more customers in because we are leaking customers every month.
If trade continues in this way I may not be open for another years trading and before that happens I am happy to invest my £150 into the area I have chosen to open a business.
Michelle has written that we can use the business wifi scheme, I currently pay £26 a month for my broadband so that over £300 a year I spend just on that. Already I have a return on my bid levy.
My customers complain about the car park charges after their two free hours and I would be interested to see how we can address this as a group of businesses.
An advert in a newspaper or booklet costs over £100 a year and my bid levy is not much more than that.
Read the BID facts that are written above before you pass judgement!
We are not all small minded business people that are negative about progress; I for one need Abingdon to change for my business to survive.
I pay over £1000 a year for my council tax and am very happy to be investing in my town. Good luck Abingdon BID, we all need this!!!!!
Lovely misty picture – thanks, Backstreeter.